Gabriel Bonfim has put on a masterclass against former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad. The Brazilian contender completely shut down the former champion for five rounds and won a clear unanimous decision.
It was the fifth win for Bonfim in a row and by far his most significant one against the #5 of the division. For Muhammad, a painful loss. He has now lost three fights in a row, and a new title shot looks further away than ever.
A Massive Win For Gabriel Bonfim
Gabriel Bonfim pressured early in the fight. Muhammad was on his back foot and tried to keep the Brazilian fighter at a distance. The first significant punch came from the former champion, but Bonfim wasn’t phased. Bonfim kept pressuring Muhammad, but wasn’t able to land clean. Also, Muhammad tried to counter but had difficulties landing damaging shots. Bonfim’s strongest weapon was the calf kick during the first round.
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The second round looked very much the same as the first one. Bonfim kept pressuring, and Muhammad circled away and countered. Bonfim seemed to land more with his jabs and hard calf kicks. Muhammad was able to land some single shots but wasn’t able to land multiple combinations. He tried, but most of them didn’t land.
Bonfim Kept Getting Stronger In The Later Rounds
Bonfim started to advance even more in the third round. The Brazilian fighter punched Belal hard in the face and kept landing the calf kicks. With a perfectly placed right punch, Bonfim knocked Muhammad’s mouthguard out. Muhammad didn’t flinch and continued to fight. The Brazilian fighter dictated the round and looked really good going into the championship rounds.
Also in the fourth round, Muhammad wasn’t able to do something significant to turn the fight around. Bonfim kept putting on the pressure while Muhammad was mostly punching air in the counter. Bonfim also took the fourth round. Muhammad knew he needed a finish in the last round to win.
In the fifth and final round, Muhammad finally tried to put pressure on Bonfim. He just wasn’t able to come in close range and put damage on the Brazilian fighter. Even with countering Bonfim, the former champion was outlanded. Muhammad took more risks in the final two minutes and kept punching forward. Bonfim ducked the shots and swayed away. After five rounds, Bonfim won a clear unanimous decision. The biggest win of his career against the former welterweight champion.
A Big Opportunity In The Co-Main Event
Edmen Shahbazyan got a massive opportunity as an unranked fighter to take on #4-ranked Brendan Allen. Allen, who is known for his solid ground game, kept the fight standing early on. Shahbazyan, known for his knockout power and finishing ability, looked hesitant early on in the fight. Allen went for a takedown with less than two minutes to go in the first round, but Shahbazyan was able to keep the fight standing. Both fighters landed some strikes at the end of the round, but it wasn’t all very convincing.
In the second round, Allen tried to keep the pressure on Shahbazyan. Shahbazyan tried to keep him at a distance with some hard, low kicks. Allen kept looking for the takedown but couldn’t get him to the ground. Both guys were punching from the clinch, but didn’t land anything significant. Allen pressured in the last minute of the second round, but Shahbazyan was landing the better shots while walking backwards.
He gets the UD win after a hard-fought 15 minutes!
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In the third and final round, Allen pressured forward like in the first two rounds. Shahbazyan looked a little bit more tired but was still landing some good jabs. Allen started to land some elbows from the clinch. Shahbazyan kept looking for that knockout punch but also walked backwards. Allen opened up several cuts on the face of Shahbazyan during the round. Allen kept hitting Shahbazyan with elbows from the clinch. With twenty seconds to go, Allen was finally able to get Shahbazyan to the ground. After three rounds, Allen won via unanimous decision and defended his fourth spot in the rankings.
Top 15 Spot Awaits
Édgar Cháirez will enter the UFC flyweight top 15 for the very first time in his career. The Mexican fighter took on #15-ranked Bruno Silva at the Meta Apex during the prelims. It was a very entertaining fight where both guys tried to go for a finish. Cháirez knocked down Silva early with a punch, but the Brazilian recovered and went forward himself.
Edgar Chairez puts on a performance with a RD 1 submission victory!
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Cháirez was too quick for Silva and sat him down again with a perfectly placed uppercut. This time, Cháirez followed the Brazilian fighter to the ground and took his back. Silva tried to defend, but Cháirez finished the fight via rear-naked choke submission. The biggest win of ‘Puro Chicali’s’ career.
Full Results UFC Vegas 118
Main Card
- Gabriel Bonfim def. Belal Muhammad via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45).
- Brendan Allen def. Edmen Shahbazyan via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).
- Tom Nolan def. Farès Ziam via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
- Bryce Mitchell def. Santiago Luna via submission (arm-triangle choke) – R3, 4:52.
- Iwo Baraniewski def. Junior Tafa via TKO (leg kick & punches) – R1, 1:25.
Preliminary Card
- Alessandro Costa def. Matt Schnell via TKO (punches) – R1, 2:28.
- Marcus McGhee def. John Yannis via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).
- Édgar Cháirez def. Bruno Silva via submission (rear-naked choke) – R1, 4:13.
- Chelsea Chandler def. Priscila Cachoeira via submission (armbar) – R1, 3:42.
- Joanderson Brito def. Jordan Leavitt via submission (ninja choke) – R1, 4:19.
- Jeisla Chaves def. Yuneisy Duben via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).
- Ketlen Souza def. Ariane Carnelossi via knockout (head kick) – R1, 1:34.
Full bonuses were also announced after the fights.
Gabriel Bonfim Puts on a Masterclass Against Belal Muhammad in Las Vegas