Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is right back it again later TONIGHT (Sat., June 6, 2026) with UFC Vegas 118 from inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring a Welterweight showdown between Belal Muhammad vs. Gabriel Bonfim. In the co-main event of the evening — which will stream live on Paramount+ — Brendan Allen vs. Edmen Shahbazyan will collide in a somewhat-odd Middleweight showdown (here’s why
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UFC VEGAS 118 CHEAT SHEET
What UFC event is on tonight? UFC Vegas 118: “Belal vs. Bonfim”
Who is fighting tonight
at UFC Vegas 118? Belal Muhammad vs. Gabriel Bonfim Welterweight fight is the five-round main event.
What time does UFC Vegas 118 start? TONIGHT (Sat., June 6, 2026), beginning at 5 p.m. ET on Paramount+.
Where will UFC Vegas 118 take place? Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
How can I watch UFC Vegas 118? Paramount+ “Prelims” undercard matches are scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET on Paramount+, followed by the remaining main card balance on Paramount+ at 8 p.m. ET.
How do I bet on UFC Vegas 118? Checkout the latest lines right here and bet responsibly at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Where can I get UFC Vegas 118 updates and results? Get full UFC Vegas 118 play-by-play updates and live coverage here!
At one point Muhammad was on top of the world, enjoying an 11-fight unbeaten streak that spanned six years, winning the Welterweight title in 2024. In his first-ever title defense, however, “Canelo Hands” was dominated on the feet by Jack Della Maddalena. In his quest to bounce back with a win, Muhammad then suffered another one-sided defeat at the hands of Ian Machado-Garry. Now on a two-fight losing skid, it’s going to be hard for people to “Remember The Name” when it comes to discussing title contenders. He is hanging onto his No. 5 spot at the moment, but another loss could send him crashing further down, and another title fight would be even harder than normal (at least for him) to achieve.
Standing in Muhammad’s way is Bonfim, who is enjoying a four-fight win streak and is 6-1 overall inside the Octagon (good enough to earn him the No. 11 spot in the rankings). His biggest win to date came against Stephen Thompson, but one over Muhammad would undoubtedly take him to the next level. During his win streak, Bonfim has finished four opponents, so the Brazilian bomber likes to entertain while getting the job done in impressive fashion. Against Muhammad, though, he will run into perhaps the best grappler he’s faced his entire career. Indeed, “Remember The Name” is known for suffocating his opponents with presser; therefore, Bonfim needs to be on his “A” game when it comes to that aspect of the fight. That said, Muhammad is going to come in hungry and aggressive for a win, so Bonfim has his work cut out for him. But, if he can take out the former champion, he will crack into UFC’s Top 5, as well as inch one step closer to a future 170-pound title shot.
Original Card Vs. Actual Card/Injuries
Jakub Wiklacz was expected to face Marcus McGhee at this event before he pulled out in early because of an injury. He was subsequently replaced by John Yannis, who is 1-1 inside the Octagon. As for McGhee, he suffered the first loss of his UFC career against Petr Yan almost one year ago, snapping his four-fight win streak.
A bout between Iwo Baraniewski vs. Billy Elekana was scheduled for the event before Elekana withdrew for undisclosed reasons. He was replaced by Junior Tafa, who is coming off a first round knockout win over Kevin Christian just one month ago (see it here). Baraniewski, meanwhile, is undefeated (8-0) with all of his wins coming via first round knockout — he is all gas and no brakes. Indeed, Baraniewski is an up-and-coming threat, and a stunning finish over Tafa would be a solid notch on his belt.
Matt Schnell was set to face Imanol Rodriguez at Flyweight before Rodriguez withdrew two weeks before the event and was replaced by Alessandro Costa (details here). The fight will now take place at a Catchweight of 130 pounds. Costa is 3-3 so far inside the Octagon and has yet to find his groove since he’s alternated his wins and losses throughout his run. As for Schnell, he is just 1-4 in his last five fights. In addition, Victor Henry was in line to face Bryce Mitchell in a Bantamweight bout before he was forced to bow out and was ultimately replaced by Santiago Luna.
New Blood:
Jeisla Chavez is all set to make her official UFC debut after winning her fight on Contender Series via split decision back in Sept. 2025. The undefeated Brazilian (7-0) boasts four knockouts to her name, adding some much-needed depth to the women’s Flyweight division. As for her opponent, Yuneisy Deben threw up a dud in her own Octagon debut 15 months ago, losing to Carli Judice via first round knockout (re-live that here). Prior to that, she had won six straight fights, all via stoppage.
How The ‘Prelims’ Look:
Edgar Chairez is on the hunt for his first three-fight win streak in eight years, battling Bruno Silva in a Flyweight bout. “Puro Chicali” is 3-2-1 inside the Octagon, so he hasn’t really done much to stand out from the pack; however, a win over Silva would undoubtedly bump his stock. Speaking of “Bulldog,” he has seen better days. Indeed, after enjoying a four-fight win streak from 2021 to 2024, he has since gone 1-3, getting knocked out twice, with his most recent loss coming via split decision against Charles Johnson.
In men’s Featherweight action, Jordan Leavitt will face Joanderson Brito. Leavitt has won two straight, but he hasn’t been overly-active, securing those two victories in the span of nine months (his lone two contests in the past three years). Brito, meanwhile, managed to snap his two-fight losing streak in his last outing , defeating Isaac Thomson via unanimous decision to close out 2025.
Kicking off the event will be a women’s Strawweight fight between Ketlen Souza vs. Ariane Carnelossi. Both women are currently un-ranked at the moment, and a win here for either fighter likely doesn’t change that. Souza snapped her two-fight losing streak with a win over Bruna Brasil earlier this year. As for Carnelossi, she is 1-2 in her last three UFC bouts, and is coming off a submission loss at the hands of Talita Alencar; therefore, a win is of the utmost importance for her.
Who Needs A Win Badly:
In a fight that could very well be a “Loser Leaves Town” match, Priscila Cachoeira will face Chelsea Chandler in a women’s Bantamweight bout. Cachoeira is currently mired in a two-fight losing streak, dropping four of her last five fights, too. Chandler, meanwhile, has also lost two straight, falling to 1-3 in her last four appearances, so the loser of this fight could very well get pink-slipped.
Interest Level: 5/10
In the co-main event, Allen will look to notch his third straight win and improve his position at Middleweight when he battles Shahbazyan. Allen is currently tied for the No. 4 spot at 185 pounds and a win here could be the one that really puts him in the conversation for a title shot. He has the goods, now he needs to put it together when it really matters if he wants the chance to fight for gold. As for Shahbazyan, he has really found a groove by winning three straight fights. A win over Allen would be huge since he currently doesn’t hold a spot in the Top 15, so he can crash the Top 5 straight away with an upset win over Allen.
In one of the other featured main card bouts, Bryce Mitchell will now facing rising contender, Santiago Luna. Mitchell has been inconsistent of late inside the Octagon (certainly not with is “hot takes” outside of it) and will try to secure his first back-to-back win streak in a very long time. In fact, the last time Mitchell won consecutive bouts was way back in 2022. He currently doesn’t have a ranking spot to show off, but a win over Luna could help him get there. Luna, meanwhile, is perfect (2-0) inside the Octagon and overall as a professional fighter (8-0). With his last-minute opportunity, he has the chance to make a name for himself with an upset win over “Thug Nasty.”
Fares Ziam has quietly gone ignited a hot streak, winning six straight and eight of 10 overall inside the Octagon. He is currently seeded No. 14 in the division. A Top 10 spot could be in his near future if he can increase his win streak to seven straight. Sure, Tom Nolan isn’t ranked, but another highlight-reel win for Ziam would further add to his resume. As for Nolan, he stumbled out of the gates with a knockout loss to Nikolas Motta — the first and only loss of his career — but has since won four straight. “Big Train” means big business. And a signature win over Ziam is a sure-fire way to catapult himself into the rankings.
Enjoy the fights!
Full UFC Vegas 118 Fight Card:
UFC Vegas 118 Main Event On Paramount+:
170 lbs.: Belal Muhammad vs. Gabriel Bonfim
UFC Vegas 118 Main Card on Paramount+ (8 p.m. ET):
185 lbs.: Brendan Allen vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
155 lbs.: Fares Ziam vs. Tom Nolan
135 lbs.: Bryce Mitchell vs. Santiago Luna
125 lbs.: Matt Schnell vs. Alessandro Costa
205 lbs.: Iwo Baraniewski vs. Junior Tafa
UFC Vegas 118 ‘Prelims’ Card on Paramount+ (5 p.m. ET):
135 lbs.: Marcus McGhee vs. John Yannis
125 lbs.: Edgar Chairez vs. Bruno Silva
135 lbs.: Priscila Cachoeira vs. Chelsea Chandler
145 lbs.: Joanderson Brito vs. Jordan Leavitt
125 lbs.: Jeisla Chaves vs. Yuneisy Duben
115 lbs.: Ariane Carnelossi vs. Ketlen Souza
*Fight card, bout order and amount of fights remain subject to change.*
