UFC Fight Night: Belal Muhammad vs Gabriel Bonfim Preview & Prediction
A potential changing of the guard sees the main event, former welterweight champion Belal “Remember the Name” Muhammad looks to halt his slide against the dynamic finisher Gabriel “Marretinha” Bonfim.
Belal Muhammad vs Gabriel Bonfim facts
What time are Belal Muhammad and Gabriel Bonfim expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs Bonfim? Meta Apex, Enterprise, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs Bonfim? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 278
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs Bonfim on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs Bonfim? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs Bonfim main card
Belal Muhammad vs Gabriel Bonfim (Welterweight)
Brendan Allen vs Edmen Shahbazyan (Middleweight)
Fares Ziam vs Tom Nolan (Lightweight)
Bryce Mitchell vs Santiago Luna (Bantamweight)
Iwo Baraniewski vs Junior Tafa (Light Heavyweight)
UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs Bonfim prelims
Matt Schnell vs Alessandro Costa (Catchweight - 130 lb)
Marcus McGhee vs John Yannis (Bantamweight)
Bruno Gustavo da Silva vs Edgar Chairez (Flyweight)
Priscila Cachoeira vs Chelsea Chandler (Women’s Bantamweight)
Jordan Leavitt vs Joanderson Brito (Featherweight)
Jeisla Chaves vs Yuneisy Duben (Women’s Flyweight)
Ketlen Souza vs Ariane Carnelossi (Women’s Strawweight)
Belal Muhammad: Former champ, slick shoot boxer fighting for fans to remember his name
Belal Muhammad (24-5, 1NC) sits at #5 in a brutally stacked welterweight division, but enters on the back foot for the first time in years. Belal dominated Leon Edwards to win the belt, and has a standing TKO of Sean Brady (another extremely impressive win), yet he’s dropped two straight since – giving up the belt to JDM and then losing a decision to Ian Garry. Both defeats however have come against elite operators. Belal is a relentless, high-volume shoot boxer, but he hasn’t yet shared the cage with a submission artist who can also strike as well as Bonfim.
Gabriel Bonfim: Dynamic Brazilian finisher chases the head of the ex-champ
Gabriel Bonfim (19-1) is the #11 welterweight and a very complete finisher within the division, a National Brazilian boxing champion with a slick submission game to match. “Marretinha” rides a four-fight win streak headlined by a second-round KO over Randy Brown in his first main event, a darce choke over Khaos Willians, and a split decision over Wonderboy Thompson. The blemish on his record is a telling one, a second-round TKO loss to Nicolas Dalby, in which he gassed badly. Bonfim brings fast hands, vicious calf kicks, and rapid head kicks, plus a slightly bigger frame than Belal’s.
Belal Muhammad vs Gabriel Bonfim prediction
There is a real case of a changing of the guard moment here. The finish potential clearly sides with Bonfim, who can end it by knockout or a submission, but the cardio and championship round experience makes it live for Belal. Bonfim has the edge on the feet, he’s the more dynamic, dangerous striker, and his fast head kicks are a threat against the shorter Belal. But that same kicking game hands an opening for an elite wrestler like Belal to time a takedown, and Belal won’t just be shooting once a round, he’ll go for it over, and over, and over.
Both men beat Stephen Thompson, but Belal did it far more convincingly, against a closer-to-prime version too. Bonfim’s window is in the first three rounds, if he can land the big shot, and follow him to the floor to submit him, the upset could be on. That Dalby loss though, when Bonfim can’t find the finish, he fades, and a relentless machine like Belal is the worst possible style to wilt against. If Bonfim doesn’t get him out early, expect Belal to grind his way back into the fight. “Remember the Name” has only recently lost to the absolute best, and that experience should carry him here.
Prediction: Belal Muhammad to win and round four to start
