UFC Fight Night Glasgow: Gunnar Nelson takes on Santiago Ponzinibbio, Joanne Calderwood meets Cynthia Calvillo

UFC welterweight and commentator Dan Hardy looks ahead to this weekend’s event as the UFC returns to the city of Glasgow, following a highly successful debut in Scotland two years ago

Gunnar Nelson's battle with Santiago Ponzinibbio may all depend on the first couple of minutes (Getty)

Glasgow, Scotland, is this weekend’s venue for our next UFC Fight Night. The headline bout matches Argentina’s best fighter, Santiago Ponzinibbio, against Icelandic hero Gunnar Nelson. In the co-main event, Scottish kickboxing sweetheart Joanne Calderwood looks to hand Cynthia Calvillo her first loss in professional competition. With top European talent throughout the card and plenty of local prospects representing Scotland, I expect the fans in attendance to be very vocal and make the atmosphere in The SSE Hydro an electric one.

Both main and co-main fights will give 14th-ranked fighters in the welterweight and women’s strawweight divisions a chance to crack the top 10. Gunnar Nelson and Joanne Calderwood will be stepping into the Octagon to defend their top 10 spot, against very game opposition. Ponzinibbio, a swift-handed boxer with stubborn scrambling and takedown defence, will surely push the technical ability of Gunnar Nelson. It all depends on the first couple of minutes. Then we will see if the Argentine prospect falls into the Icelandic fighter’s traps.

So often Gunnar’s opponents seem mesmerized by his movement and wait to see what he is going to do. This distracts them from their own attack and allows Gunnar to set them up for a fast two-punch combination. That tends to hurt or floor them before Nelson then clamps onto his prey and squeezes the life out of them. In those first couple of minutes we will see if Ponzinibbio is focused on being offensive or waiting for Gunnar's next move. If he waits it's only a matter of time before he is figured out and finds himself with the option of tapping or sleeping.

If he decides to push forward and show Gunnar no respect, it will be very interesting. Nelson was unbeaten until October 2014, when he met Rick Story over five rounds in a main event spot. Story was able to shut Gunnar's game down and force him to trade punches, a range in which Story could push the pace and bully his opponent. He has only picked up one more loss since that night, at UFC 194, and it was in an exhaustive affair with title challenger Demian Maia. He stated recently that those losses taught him to be more adaptable and if Ponzinibbio can put Gunnar on the back foot, he will have to prove it.

Santiago Ponzinibbio, also known as 'Gente Boa', which translates to 'Nice Guy', is anything but that in between bells. He has vicious knockout power in both hands, due to a strong base and core. Driving forward behind a barrage of right hands and left hooks, he forces his foe against the fence until a break in their defence presents itself. From there he will line them up and knock them out. If at any point he finds himself being crowded he scrambles like the man is on fire. His refusal to be grounded makes for very hard work if you are unsuccessful the first couple of times. It also swells his confidence tremendously, meaning his attack is more frequent and more aggressive.

He is a potential banana skin for Nelson but if he can dispatch Ponzinibbio in style he will be able to demand a top five ranked opponent in his next outing. Much is to be gained by the Argentinian fighter though, and Santiago knows it. This is the best opportunity he has been given so far in his UFC career. Making the most of this will thrust him into the top 10 mix as an exciting new contender. Gunnar Nelson is one of the most skilled and intelligent fighters on the roster. If Ponzinibbio finds his way into the top 10 after this weekend he will have most certainly earned his place.

Calvillo is looking for her sixth straight win (Getty)

Another fast-rising contender in the women’s strawweight division will attempt to do the same in our co-main event, as Cynthia Calvillo invades Joanne Calderwood's hometown looking for her sixth straight win. She's had two fights in the UFC so far, against Amanda Cooper and Pearl Gonzalez, and won both by rear naked choke. Calderwood has bounced back and forth between the win and loss column since signing with the UFC, winning three of five. Both losses were by submission and with Calderwood being a former Muay Thai champion, it’s no surprise that grappling isn't her strength. Striking, however, is her speciality and with it she is dangerous.

She kicks her way into boxing range, smashes inside with elbows, clinches to throw knees and then strikes on the break. Although at a disadvantage in experience, Calvillo has good boxing and great lateral movement. Her main strength though is her grappling and if she is able to close the distance safely and get her hands on Calderwood, she can quickly transition to several different submission attacks. Calderwood has been traveling to train though and has visited Gunnar Nelson in Iceland, as well as her usual spot at Tristar in Montreal. Both teams will help close the holes in her game and allow her to really focus on her striking attack.

There are many great match-ups on this card, including 'Fight of the Night' potential in Stevie Ray versus Paul Felder. It promises to be a real war and I'll struggle to stay in my seat each time they trade punches! Make sure you tune in and watch.

Watch UFC Fight Night: Nelson vs. Ponzinibbio live on BT Sport 2 from 6pm BST on Sunday 16th July, or catch the Early Prelims exclusively on UFC Fight Pass from 5pm BST.