UFC on ESPN 71: Rafael Estevam vs Felipe Bunes Preview & Prediction

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Flyweight prospect Rafael Estevam looks to maintain his undefeated MMA record against the ever-game Felipe Bunes.

Rafael Estevam vs Felipe Bunes facts

What time are Rafael Estevam and Felipe Bunes expected to walk out?

Where is UFC on ESPN: Taira vs Park? UFC Apex, Enterprise, USA

Where can I get tickets for UFC on ESPN: Taira vs Park? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC on ESPN 71

What TV channel is UFC on ESPN: Taira vs Park on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+

Where can I stream UFC on ESPN: Taira vs Park? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass

UFC on ESPN: Taira vs Park main card

Tatsuro Taira vs Park Hyun-sung (Flyweight)

Mateusz Rebecki vs Chris Duncan (Lightweight)

Elves Brener vs Esteban Ribovics (Lightweight)

Karol Rosa vs Nora Cornolle (Women’s Bantamweight)

Neil Magny vs Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (Welterweight)

Danny Silva vs Kevin Vallejos (Featherweight)

UFC on ESPN: Taira vs Park prelims

Rinya Nakamura vs Nathan Fletcher (Bantamweight)

Rodolfo Vieira vs Tresean Gore (Middleweight)

Nick Klein vs Andrey Pulyaev (Middleweight)

Austin Bashi vs John Yannis (Featherweight)

Piera Rodriguez vs Ketlen Souza (Women’s Strawweight)

Rafael Estevam vs Felipe Bunes (Flyweight)

Rafael Estevam: The undefeated flyweight looks to add a third scalp to his UFC run

Yet another graduate of DWCS, Rafael Estevam (13-0) has been perfect in his professional career to date. Earning his UFC contract after planishing Joao Elias with ground and pound back in 2022, the 28 year old Nova Unaio representative is an excellent grappler with suffocating wrestling. “Macapa” also frequently takes the judges out of the equation, with seven finishes split virtually even between four knockouts and three submissions. The Brazilian highlighted his considerable talent by winning a decision over Charles Johnson in his debut; incidentally, the last man to beat current flyweight No. 1 contender, Joshua Van.

Felipe Bunes: The experienced Brazilian aims to defy the oddsmakers

Poised to compete in his third appearance under the UFC banner, Felipe Bunes (14-7) looks to build on the momentum of an impressive armbar victory against Jose Johnson at the Apex in January. A seasoned professional who has been competing since 2011, “Felipinho” has typically found a path to victory through his grappling, with nine submission victories to his name. While the Brazilian’s ceiling was clearly established by a TKO defeat to Joshua Van in early 2024, the former LFA champion still notably stole a round off “The Fearless” before succumbing to punches late in the second round.

Rafael Estevam vs Felipe Bunes prediction

Originally scheduled to face the highly touted Andre Lima, Bunes must be wondering what he has done to anger the UFC matchmakers by drawing yet another top flyweight prospect as a replacement.

While both fighters match up evenly in terms of height and reach, there’s a reason that the oddsmakers have Estevam as such a sizable favorite here. There’s no shame in losing to a fighter as talented as Joshua Van, but the fact that “Macapa” owns a win over the only man to defeat “The Fearless” in the Octagon speaks volumes to Bunes’ limited chances here.

Simply put, whatever Bunes does, his younger and more athletic foe does better. While “Felipinho’s” toughness and grappling chops indicate that he’s unlikely to be finished here, it’s difficult to envision a reality where he’s able to stave off one of the more underrated names at 125 pounds for three rounds.

Unless Estevam’s conditioning completely falls off a cliff as a result of the short-notice nature of this matchup, the end result should be academic. The undefeated Brazilian smothers Bunes for the better part of 15 minutes to earn his third UFC win, potentially snatching up an opportunistic submission along the way.