Neil Magny breaks silence on UFC Argentina KO loss to Santiago Ponzinibbio

On Saturday night, in the main event of UFC Argentina, long-time UFC welterweight contender Neil Magny stepped into the cage with local hero Santiago Ponzinibbio. Although Magny was able to bust up Ponzinibbio’s eye in the first round, he was thumped decisively through the rest of the fight, as Ponzinibbio battered his lead leg and ultimately removed his batteries with a right cross in the fourth round.

It was a tough loss for Neil Magny, who travelled thousands of miles south to fight Santiago Ponzinibbio on his home turf. All the same, the ever-classy welterweight contender seems to be in good spirits.

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“Thank you to all who reached out and checked on me,” Neil Magny said in the caption of an Instagram post published post-fight. “I’m doing ok and will be home soon. Love you guys.”

Magny’s post also included a quote obtained by MMAjunkie, which addressed his corner’s refusal to throw in the towel when the fight began to get ugly for him. Apparently, he’s just fine with his corner’s decision not to end the affair.

“Live by the sword die by the sword,” he said. “I’d rather fight tooth and nail till the last possible second and give it all I’ve got.”

This tough knockout loss to Santiago Ponzinibbio, who is now calling for a title shot, marks the end of a two-fight win streak for Neil Magny. In his last fight, he authored an emphatic, first-round KO of short-notice replacement opponent Craig White. This win was preceded by a unanimous decision defeat of former interim champion Carlos Condit. He’s now 21-8 overall.

While Magny will now have to return to the drawing board, he remains one of the division’s key players, having picked up wins over names like Johny Hendricks, Hector Lombard and Kelvin Gastelum since joining the UFC.

What do you think the future holds for Neil Magny after UFC Argentina?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 11/18/2018.