Alex Morono Steps in to Face Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC 282

Alex
Morono has agreed to meet Santiago
Ponzinibbio on less than a week’s notice at
UFC 282.

Ponzinibbio needed a new opponent after Robbie
Lawler withdrew from Saturday’s card due to an undisclosed
injury. The new booking was first reported by David Van Auken on

Twitter. UFC 282 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
and is headlined by a light heavyweight championship clash between
Jan
Blachowicz and Magomed
Ankalaev. Morono vs. Ponzinibbio will be contested at a
180-pound catchweight.

Morono, 32, is in the midst of a four-bout UFC winning streak. The
Fortis MMA representative last appeared at UFC 277, where he
outpointed Matthew
Semelsberger on July 30. Morono has also earned victories over
Mickey
Gall, David Zwada and Donald
Cerrone during his current winning streak. “The Great White” is
11-4 with one no contest over the course of his tenure with the Las
Vegas-based promotion.

Ponzinibbio, meanwhile, has lost three of his last four bouts and
is coming off a split-decision defeat to Michel
Pereira at UFC Fight Night 206 in his first appearance of
2022.