Former Champ meets Rising Contender as Belal Muhammad and Gabriel Bonfim Headline UFC Vegas 118
Former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad takes on rising contender Gabriel Bonfim in the main event of UFC Vegas 118 on Saturday. Belal is on a two fight losing streak and Bonfim has won four straight.
Belal Muhammad (24-5, 1 NC) hasn’t had his hand raised since he was the welterweight kingpin. The former champ dropped the belt to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315, then dropped the cards to Ian Machado Garry in Qatar last November for his second loss in a row. Now, he’s starting his comeback against Gabriel Bonfim (19-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) promoting UFC Vegas 118 on Saturday at Meta Apex.
Belal Muhammad's Back Is Against the Wall
Two-fight losing streaks don't happen to Belal Muhammad. Before Della Maddalena took the belt, Muhammad had won 10 in a row. He would ground guys down with wrestling and cardio and just outworked everyone until they broke. That was the formula and it worked for years.
The last two fights showed something different, however. Della Maddalena out struck him on the feet and matched his grappling. Garry kept distance, used his length, and won a decision that nobody could argue with. Belal Muhammad is 37 now. The welterweight division is getting younger and faster and the guys coming up don't respect his name the way the old generation did.
Saturday is basically a must-win. Another loss and the title conversation is done for Belal Muhammad. Carlos Prates is already making noise about a title shot. Shavkat Rakhmonov holds the belt. The division moved on quickly.
Bonfim Came Up the Hard Way Ahead of Belal Muhammad Fight
Here's the thing about Gabriel Bonfim that people don't know: This man grew up in poverty in Brasilia, as one of 12 kids. His dad walked out on the family when he was young and his older brother Odair basically raised him and the other siblings while working to put food on the table, meaning there was no money for fancy gyms or world-class coaching early on. Bonfim built himself from nothing.
He went 15-0 before his first loss, when he got stopped by Nicolas Dalby in São Paulo back in 2023 and it shook him. Since then, he's rattled off four straight wins, beating Mounir Lazzez and Mickey Gall, before he outworked Stephen Thompson over three rounds, ultimately headlining his first UFC card in November and stopping Randy Brown in round two.
His trajectory is heading straight up. His brother Ismael also fights in the UFC at lightweight. They opened their own gym together after the Dalby loss. Everything about Bonfim's story screams underdog who refuses to stay down.
Where This Fight Gets Interesting
Belal Muhammad's path to winning has always been wrestling: Take guys down, wear them out, grind decisions. Gabriel Bonfim is a BJJ black belt who actually wants to be on the ground. He's got 10 career submission wins. Taking Bonfim down might not be the safe play it usually is for Belal Muhammad.
On the feet, Gabriel Bonfim is the more dangerous striker. He's got real power in his hands and isn't afraid to let them go. Belal Muhammad can box but he's never been a guy who hurts people standing. At 37, can Belal Muhammad hold his own against a 28-year-old with knockout power and a ground game that might be better than his?
That's a tough puzzle to solve. Honestly, Belal Muhammad probably needs to win this fight ugly, out-cardio Bonfim, control him against the cage, pile up minutes of control time and make it boring. That's been his best path in every big fight. Gabriel Bonfim just went five rounds with Thompson and didn't fade. His gas tank is legit.
Saturday at the Apex
The card starts at 4 PM ET on Paramount+. Baraniewski vs Tafa and Luna vs Mitchell are both on the undercard. Brendan Allen vs Edmen Shahbazyan is the co-main, but the main event is where the stakes are highest.
Belal Muhammad is fighting to stay relevant. Bonfim is fighting to prove he belongs with the best in the division. Somebody's trajectory changes Saturday night.
