Gabriel Bonfim dismantled Bellal Muhammad in the main event of UFC Fight Night from Apex on Saturday night. Bonfim took a 50-45 decision on all three judges’ cards and is likely to snatch Muhammad’s No. 5 by the end of this week.
Important Facts at a Glance
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Event: UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs. Bonfim (UFC Vegas 118), Meta Apex, Las Vegas
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The main event: Gabriel Bonfim explains. Belal Muhammad (unanimous decision, 50-45 x3)
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Fight of the Night: Brendan Allen vs. Edmen Shahbazyan ($100K each)
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Performance of the Night: Iwo Baraniewski and Édgar Cháirez ($100K each)
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How did Gabriel Bonfim beat Bellal Muhammad?
Bonfim’s size, speed and technical hitting proved too much for Muhammad. The former champion didn’t push his wrestling as much as he did earlier in his career, and chose to back it up with an effort to use his improved but low striking.
That approach didn’t work out well for Muhammad as he lost to the next welterweight fighter.
All three judges returned the same cards 50-45, a clean sweep that captured how one-sided the night was. Bonfim’s calf kick was a recurring weapon, repeatedly forcing Muhammad to change stances, while his pressure prevented the former champion from relying on the hold that defined his title run.
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It is Muhammad’s third straight defeat, following his title loss to Jack Della Maddalena and a decision loss to Ian Machado Garry, and pushes Bonfim to the top of the welterweight contender picture.
UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs. Bonfim Main Card Results
In the co-main event, Brendan Allen outlasted Edmen Shahbazyan in an episode that won Fight of the Night honors. Allen is traditionally known for wrestling, but he won this one almost exclusively on the feet. He was strong, aggressive and accurate with his batting and won it convincingly.
Bryce Mitchell earned a hard-fought submission win over Santiago Luna with a masterful arm triangle in the final seconds of the third round. Also, Iwo Baraniewski knocked out Junior Tafa in the first round with a devastating leg kick.
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Gabriel Bonfim explains. Belal Muhammad – unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
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Brendan Allen explains. Edmen Shahbazyan – unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
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Tom Nolan explains. Farès Ziam — unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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Bryce Mitchell explains. Santiago Luna — submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 3, 4:52
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Iwo Baraniewski explains. Junior Tafa — TKO (leg kicks and punches), Round 1, 1:25
UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs. Bonfim Prelim Results
The night came for Ketlen Souza. His right-hand finish and following behind Ariane Carnelossi was the worst finish of the event and one of the most memorable finishes in 2026.
He should have received the Performance of the Night bonus, but he had to pay the $25K bonus awarded to any fighter who wins by elimination. Édgar Cháirez got another bonus with his clean finish and Bruno Silva’s skill.
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Ketlen Souza explains. Ariane Carnelossi — KO (head kicks and punches), Round 1, 1:34
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Joanerson Brito explains. Jordan Leavitt – submission (ninja choke), Round 1, 4:19
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Chelsea Chandler explains. Priscila Cachoeira – submission (armbar), Round 1, 3:42
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Edgar Cháirez explains. Bruno Silva – submission (neck), Round 1, 4:13
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Marcus McGhee explains. John Yannis—unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
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Alessandro Costa explains. Matt Schnell – TKO (boxing), Round 1, 2:28
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Jeisla Chaves explains. Yuneisy Duben – split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Who Got Bonuses at UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs. Bonfim?
Here is a breakdown of all the bonus winners from Saturday’s event.
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Fight of the Night: Brendan Allen and Edmen Shahbazyan – $100,000 each
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Performance of the Night: Iwo Baraniewski – $100,000
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Performance of the Night: Édgar Cháirez – $100,000
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Every other hitter – including Souza, Brito, Chandler and Costa – took home a $25,000 bonus
It was the type of heavy scorecard full of bonus races and rewarding fighters who didn’t want to leave it up to the judges. With Bonfim on the rise and Muhammad sliding, attention now turns to what’s next on the UFC calendar, with full official results also posted on the promotion’s site.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
