Gabriel Bonfim destroyed Randy Brown in his first UFC main event and now hopes to follow it up with a career-changing victory over former champion Belal Muhammad on Saturday when he closes the show at UFC Vegas 118.
Since suffering his sole loss in 2023, Bonfim has won won four in a row, going 3-0 in 2025 against Khaos Williams, Stephen Thompson and Brown. “Marretinha” looks at his clash with Muhammad as a test to show his style, especially his luta livre grappling, could be the key to dethrone welterweight champion Islam Makhachev and his wrestling.
“It would be historic [to be the one to beat Makhachev],” Bonfim told MMA Fighting. “It would be huge. We’re going to run a test now. On Saturday, June 6, there will be a test, and we’ll see if we’re ready.”
Muhammad enters the eight-sided cage coming off defeats to Jack Della Maddalena and Ian Machado Garry, results that ended an 11-fight unbeaten streak that included victories against the likes of Leon Edwards, Sean Brady, Gilbert Burns, Demian Maia and Stephen Thompson.
In 29 pro fights, Muhammad has only been stopped once, a knockout finish to Vicente Luque that occurred a decade ago. Muhammad got his revenge in a rematch in 2022 and has proved to be a durable opponent that, even when beaten, makes it difficult for opponents look flashy or entertaining against him.
“He’s a guy who absorbs punches really well,” Bonfim said. “He has an annoying style, but I believe that with my distance management and my striking, I can knock him out. And at any moment, if he wants to take me down, he’s going to get submitted. That’s a fact. The way he has his wrestling, I have my luta livre. In that aspect, we’re even.”
Bonfim’s original plan after beating Brown was to face off with Leon Edwards, but the UFC instead booked him against Muhammad. He loves this matchup even more, calling it “an opportunity the UFC is giving me to stay right there among the contenders.”
The longest training camp of Bonfim’s MMA career spanned over four months and the 28-year-old vows to be in his best shape going into UFC Vegas 118. At the same time, Bonfim doesn’t see much evolution in Muhammad’s arsenal.
“I believe his game hasn’t changed,” Bonfim said. “Even now that he’s around 37 or 38 years old, his style hasn’t changed, but they matched him up with better opponents so his game didn’t work as well. He’s definitely not someone you can overlook. He’s a very good fighter, and he proved that by putting together a string of wins and becoming champion.”
It’s highly unlikely Bonfim earns a shot at the belt with a win Saturday as Garry, Carlos Prates and Michael Morales jockey for the opportunity to challenge Makhachev, so he sees a “great chance” to possibly fight Della Maddalena or Brady next.
“Depending on how I win,” Bonfim said, “with a big knockout or a submission before the five rounds are up, maybe in the third round or the second round, I believe I’ll put myself right into that mix alongside Ian Garry, Morales, Carlos and Sean Brady.”
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