Two of the welterweight division’s notable strikers are expected to throw down at the UFC’s final pay-per-view of the year.
Former UFC champion Robbie Lawler (28-14 MMA, 13-8 UFC) and surging competitor Santiago Ponzinibbio (27-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) are targeted to face each other at UFC 245 on Dec. 14, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Lawler (28-14-1 NC) is on a three-fight losing streak, most recently dropping a unanimous decision to Colby Covington at UFC Newark in August. He previously lost by submission to Ben Askren at UFC 235 in a controversial way, and missed all of 2018 fights due to a knee injury he suffered in his December 2017 defeat vs. Rafael dos Anjos.
After making his run to the top of the division, Lawler, 37-year-old, last win came in July 2017 when he defeated Donald Cerrone at UFC 214.
Meanwhile, Ponzinibbio (27-3) is on a seven-fight winning streak, but he hasn’t competed since a knockout of Neil Magny last November. The 32-year-old Argentinean has earned impressive victories over Mike Perry, Gunnar Nelson, and Nordine Taleb. He’s not lost since a TKO vs. Lorenz Larkin in 2015. According to the current UFC rankings, Ponzinibbio is at #8, while Lawler has fallen down to #13.
UFC 245 does not have a main event, however a women’s bantamweight title bout between Amanda Nunes and Germaine de Randamie is confirmed for the card.
