Belal Muhammad vs. Gabriel Bonfim squared off in a Welterweight bout earlier tonight (Sat., June 6, 2026) at UFC Vegas 118 inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. In a stellar showing, Bonfim really beat up the former champion.
Bonfim opened with pressure, trying to establish his jab and calf kick. Muhammad saw it all coming, however, and he actually landed first by stepping forward with a 3-2 that cracked the bigger Brazilian. Undeterred, Bonfim kept pressing and scored with a couple hard body kicks.
Bonfim started to pick up on the timing of Muhammad’s punches, allowing him to connect with several significant counter punches. The paced heated up a little in the final minute, as Muhammad started to press more often and create exchanges.
All told, it was a strong opening round for Bonfim, who landed the heavier blows.
Muhammad stood his ground more to start round two, but it wasn’t long before Bonfim had backed him beyond the black line yet again. Bonfim’s low kick started to find the mark more often as well, and Muhammad answered with inside low kicks of his own. Muhammad began dipping in the pocket and returning fire with his left hook. He wasn’t matching Bonfim’s volume, however, and when the Brazilian did land, his connections scored with great impact. A hard Bonfim right hand interrupted an awkward Muhammad combination. By the end of the second, Muhammad’s face was bloody from several cuts, but perhaps Bonfim was starting to fatigue a little bit as well.
Muhammad opened round three with a powerful takedown attempt, but Bonfim was ready for it and escaped back to center. In the open, Bonfim continued to kick the lead leg effectively and landed a hard right hand. Muhammad ripped a Southpaw left body kick and tried to exchange off it, but Bonfim was too fast in the pocket. Muhammad doubled down on that left body kick and landed it several more times. Then, Bonfim’s cracking right hand sent his mouthpiece flying … but Belal just ate it! Regardless of the former champion’s iron jaw, the damage was really starting to wear on him between the bloodied face and battered lead leg.
“The Bully” needed a finish with 10 minutes remaining.
Unfortunately for Muhammad, nothing really changed in the fourth. He still couldn’t get his wrestling going, and Bonfim’s punches were just so much snappier in exchanges. Furthermore, that lead leg continued to take abuse, widening the athleticism gap further. To his credit, Bonfim’s gas tank held up really well also, as he looked quite sharp in his first visit to the championship round.
There would be no fifth-round miracle. Muhammad tried to press forward but could not hit Bonfim without taking heavier fire in return. It was a game effort, but the writing was already on the wall.
It’s time to put some respect on Gabriel Bonfim’s name. His kickboxing has developed considerably, and his gas tank is no longer a question mark. For a jiu-jitsu ace to soundly batter and out-strike a former champion is very impressive! He walked away from a 25-minute fight fresh-faced and energized, looking the part of a future title contender.
Result: Bonfim defeats Muhammad via unanimous decision
For complete UFC Vegas 118 results and play-by-play, click here.
