BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Santiago Ponzinibbio believes a win over Neil Magny at UFC Fight Night 140, particularly one that comes in emphatic fashion, would send a clear message.

“If I win this fight, it will be seven wins in a row, 15 fights for the company, amounting to a total of 13 wins, numerous knockouts,” Ponzinibbio told MMAjunkie. “I would be ready to fight for a title. I would deserve it. I would be ready.”

Ponzinibbio has the facts right. He comes into the headliner off of six wins, three of them knockouts. He hasn’t lost since a TKO to Lorenz Larkin in early 2015 – and even then, Ponzinibbio got a “Fight of the Night” bonus. Other than that, his sole loss since joining the UFC in 2013, following a “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2” stint, was a decision to Ryan LaFlare in Ponzinibbio’s promotional debut.

But even if Ponzinibbio’s merit-based analysis does make some sense, he is well aware that there’s more at play when it comes to UFC titles. So, as deserving as he feels of a shot, he’s not holding his breath for it.

“I know this may or may not happen, because there’s no exact math or logic in the UFC,” Ponzinibbio said. “So, now my title shot is Neil Magny. I have to beat him. That’s my goal. I will win this fight and then I’ll focus on my next step. Whether it’s a title or another opponent, that’s how it goes. There’s no way around it.”

Expectation management, it seems, is a skill that Ponzinibbio has learned on the job. Twice, after a bonus-worthy knockout of Gunnar Nelson and then after a decision win over Mike Perry, the Argentinian says he was promised top-five competition. That has never happened – a frustration that Ponzinibbio blames on said foes turning him down.

Magny (21-6 MMA, 14-5 UFC), however, signed on the dotted line. And while he’s only No. 8 in the UFC’s officials rankings, Ponzinibbio (26-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) certainly isn’t complaining.

“He’s an excellent fighter, well rounded,” Ponzinibbio said. “And it’s a great fight to show that I’m ready to be world champion, that I’m fighting good opponents. Tough opponents. My last six fights were against good names, and I beat them clearly. I dominated them. So, I’ll be able to show the world that I’m ready. I was happy with the fight. I’m focused on him, on winning this fight. Another win, so I can go to the title.”

Title shot or not, Ponzinibbio has no shortage of reasons to celebrate. Not only does he feel at the peak of his career, he’ll get to experience a moment that seemed like the stuff of dreams not long ago: He’ll headline the UFC’s first event in his native Argentina.

It’s been more than eight years since Ponzinibbio has competed on home soil. The Argentinian moved away from his homeland a few years ago, first to the south of Brazil and more recently to Florida, where he’s currently training at American Top Team.

All of these elements can add up to a lot of weight on one’s shoulders. After all, not only will Ponzinibbio walk out in front of his friends and family at Parque Roca Arena, he’s also carried a lot of the promotion ahead of the FS1-televised headliner.

But Ponzinibbio doesn’t mind any of it. Not the pressure, not the promotion, not the media; not even having to do it in three different markets, in three different languages. All of it, he says, is the product of hard work. So why shouldn’t he enjoy it?

“Having the love of the Brazilian crowd even though I’m Argentinian and fighting in Brazil feeling like a local fighter, with them rooting for me – this, to me is priceless,” Ponzinibbio said. “It’s something beautiful, because it’s something I’ve earned with a lot of effort. Showing my personality, my work. My fights. I love it. I love talking to people in Brazil. I love talking to people in Argentina, helping the sport grow there. That’s very important to me. I will be representing Argentina, but I’ll also be representing Brazil, as usual.

“I’ll be representing all Latin Americans who have a harder life, who have to make sacrifices, who have to work and fight. I know very well how that’s like. I’ve gone through a lot to make it to where I am, but I’ve shown that it is possible. When you work, you do the right things, results come. I see that. I’m still not where I want, but I’ve set many goals that are being accomplished, so I’m very, very happy.”

Ponzinibbio says he’s visualized walking into the arena, toward the octagon, in front of the historically loud Argentinian crowd.

“I keep thinking about that, and I get goosebumps,” Ponzinibbio said. “It’s going to be very beautiful.”

And as for how he expects to walk out of the octagon?

“I’m going to knock him out,” Ponzinibbio said. “Put my hands on him, my pressure. This is my show. This is my style, and I won’t change. If it goes to the ground, I’ll beat him up for 25 minutes. I’m prepared to beat him up for 25 minutes, to work on the ground, in every area.

“But I believe in my hand, I believe in my potential, and I believe I’m ready to finish the fight.”

To hear more from Ponzinibbio, check out the video above.

And for more on UFC Fight Night 140, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.