Sam Patterson wasted little time setting his sights on the next step after earning another impressive finish at UFC Fight Night 282 in Abu Dhabi.
The British welterweight stopped veteran Santiago Ponzinibbio in the second round on Saturday and now believes a matchup with the winner of this week’s UFC Belgrade main event would be the perfect way to continue climbing the division.
Patterson earns statement win over veteran
Patterson had to deal with some early pressure from Ponzinibbio before taking control late in the opening round. He carried that momentum into the second, where he secured the TKO victory.
The 29-year-old said in his post-fight interview that facing a respected veteran like Ponzinibbio was exactly why he accepted the fight on short notice.
“I pride myself on finishes.”
“I’m a winner, and I’m a finisher, so it’s good to be back.”
“I took the fight on short notice because of the name value, because of who he was.”
Looking ahead to UFC Belgrade
With another finish added to his résumé, Patterson is already watching the welterweight division for his next opportunity.
He has his eyes on the upcoming UFC Belgrade main event between Uros Medic and Daniel Rodriguez and hopes to face whoever has their hand raised.
“My aim was to be in the top 15 by the end of the year.”
“I want to challenge myself. I want to be the best in the world, so up is the only way I want to go.”