By The Numbers: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Michel Pereira

Once they light the fuse, fireworks become all but a foregone conclusion.

Santiago Ponzinibbio will draw his first assignment of 2022 when he collides with Michel Pereira in the UFC Fight Night 206 co-main event on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, as the Ultimate Fighting Championship pairs together two of its tried-and-true welterweight action heroes. Ponzinibbio has piled up eight wins across his past 10 appearances. However, “The Ultimate Fighter Brazil” Season 2 finalist finds himself on the rebound following a split decision defeat to Geoff Neal at UFC 269 on Dec. 11. Pereira, meanwhile, enters the Octagon on the strength of a four-fight winning streak. He last competed at UFC 270, where he laid claim to a unanimous verdict over Andre Fialho on Jan. 22.

As Ponzinibbio and Pereira move closer to their anticipated showdown at 170 pounds, a look at some of the numbers that have accompanied them to this point:

35: Years of age for Ponzinibbio, who was born in La Plata, Argentina, on Sept. 26, 1986.

15: Ponzinibbio victories by knockout or technical knockout, accounting for 54% of his career total (28). His list of UFC victims: Neil Magny, Gunnar Nelson, Court McGee, Andreas Stahl and Wendell de Oliveira Marques. Ponzinibbio holds six other victories by submission and seven more by decision.

9: Knockdowns credited to Ponzinibbio as a UFC welterweight, placing him eighth on the promotion’s all-time list at 170 pounds. He trails only Thiago Alves (13), Jake Ellenberger (11), Matt Brown (10), Tyron Woodley (10), Stephen Thompson (10), Kamaru Usman (10) and Vicente Luque (10).

121: Significant strikes landed by Ponzinibbio in a three-round unanimous decision over Miguel Baeza at UFC Fight Night 189 on June 5, 2021. It established a personal benchmark for the American Top Team representative.

.759: Cumulative winning percentage between the five opponents—Neal, Jingliang Li, Lorenz Larkin, Ryan LaFlare and Leonardo Mafra Texeira—who have defeated Ponzinibbio. They boast a combined record of 85-27.

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28: Years of age for Pereira, who was born on Oct. 6, 1993 in Maraba, Brazil.

7: Pereira wins by submission, accounting for 26% of his career total (27). His methods of choice: two rear-naked chokes, two triangle chokes, one armbar, one guillotine choke and one arm-triangle choke. Pereira owns 10 other wins by knockout or technical knockout and 10 more by decision.

12: Consecutive calendar years in which Pereira has fought at least once, including a 1-0 mark so far in 2022. He went 1-0 in 2011, 2-0 in 2012, 6-3 in 2013, 3-1 in 2014, 1-1 in 2015, 2-2 in 2016, 2-1 in 2017, 4-1 with two no contests in 2018, 2-1 in 2019, 2-1 in 2020 and 1-0 in 2021.

41: Seconds needed for Pereira to punch out Won Jun Choi at Road Fighting Championship 51 on Dec. 15, 2018. Having occurred more than three years ago, it remains his fastest finish to date.

216: Combined victories between the 10 opponents—Rubenilton Pereira (twice), Diego Sanchez, Tristan Connelly, Dusko Todorovic, Kuerbanjiang Tuluosibake, Ismael de Jesus, Abubakar Vagaev, Carlston Harris, Zozimar de Oliveira Silva Junior and Bruno Leandro Soares Lobato—who have beaten Pereira. They sport a cumulative .657 winning percentage (216-109-4).

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 206 “Holm vs. Vieira” live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.