Gabriel Bonfim earned high praise from one of the top pound-for-pound fighters on the planet after a buzzer-beating win at UFC Vegas 102.
UFC welterweight contender Gabriel Bonfim moved one step closer to a spot in the Top 15 by putting one of the division’s dangerous veterans to sleep.
Gabriel, whose brother Ismael also competed at UFC Vegas 102, took on Khaos Williams on the UFC Vegas 102 undercard on Saturday at the Apex. It was Bonfim’s return to the Octagon after bouncing back from his first-career loss by defeating Ange Loosa by unanimous decision last July.
After a back-and-forth first round between Bonfim and Williams, Bonfim started to find his rhythm in Round 2. After the fight ended up on the canvas, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace Bonfim trapped Williams in a D’Arce choke with just seconds left in Round 2.
Williams opted not to tap and instead went to sleep before the referee waved off the fight. It was an impressive performance from Bonfim, who is quickly becoming one of the welterweight division’s top young prospects.
Gabriel Bonfim garners praise from UFC welterweight champ after latest finish
Bonfim has won back-to-back fights since suffering his first-career loss to Nicolas Dalby in Nov. 2023. Before the loss to Dalby, Bonfim won his first 15 professional fights, including UFC wins over Trevin Giles and Mounir Lazzez.
After securing another big win at UFC Vegas 102, Bonfim garnered praise from an unlikely source. In a recent post to X, the UFC welterweight titleholder gave Bonfim supreme credit for his performance despite the possibility of a future clash in the Octagon.
“Bonfim looked great after his first loss came back way more patient,” UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad posted after Bonfim’s win.
Muhammad went on to pitch a potential opponent fit for Bonfim after UFC Vegas 102; former The Ultimate Fighter winner Bryan Battle. The 30-year-old Battle is on a five-fight unbeaten streak, including recent wins over the likes of Randy Brown and Kevin Jousset.
As for Muhammad, he’s nearing a potential return to the Octagon to make his first welterweight title defense, which is expected to be against undefeated contender Shavkat Rakhmonov at a later date. Muhammad was supposed to headline against Rakhmonov at UFC 310 before withdrawing due to a health issue.
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Belal Muhammad nears potential UFC return for first welterweight title defense
Muhammad hasn’t fought in the Octagon since capturing the UFC welterweight championship by defeating Leon Edwards by unanimous decision at UFC 304. The champ is on an 11-fight unbeaten streak, including wins over Sean Brady, Stephen Thompson, and Vicente Luque.
Muhammad vs. Rakhmonov is a possible fit for the UFC’s return to Montreal, Canada for UFC 315 in May. As of this writing, the UFC hasn’t revealed the full card for UFC 315.
As for Bonfim, he’s one of a slew of intriguing young contenders for Muhammad to keep an eye on moving forward. Bonfim, Michael Morales, Ian Machado Garry, and Carlos Prates are considered the future stars of the division.
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