Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs Bonfim

Saturday’s fight card closes with a colossal pairing in the welterweight division, as former champ Belal Muhammad and Dana White’s Contender Series grad Gabriel Bonfim clash with a place in the title conversation on the line.

Less than two years after claiming the title in dominant fashion, Muhammad opens his 2026 campaign looking to halt a two-fight skid and maintain his place in the top tier of contenders in the division he previously ruled. After dropping the title to Jack Della Maddalena in a competitive battle at UFC 315, the 37-year-old landed on the wrong side of the cards in a November showdown with Ian Machado Garry in Qatar.

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Bonfim heads into his second consecutive main event assignment riding a four-fight winning streak, having scored a second-round stoppage win over Randy Brown last November in his initial headlining turn. The DWCS Class of ’22 grad has gone 6-1 since arriving in the UFC and carries a 19-1 record overall into his showdown with the former champion on Saturday.

This is a massive moment for both men, as Muhammad looks to avoid a three-fight slide and falling out of the title picture entirely, while Bonfim, who sits six spots behind the Chicagoland native in the rankings, seeks to establish himself as another dangerous young standout to consider in the title chase. Stylistically, it will be interesting to see how this one plays out as Muhammad is at his best when working forward relentlessly and leaning on his wrestling, but Bonfim is more than happy to grapple and loves to snatch a neck.

Additional Main Card Matchups

Brendan Allen vs Edmen Shahbazyan

Middleweights who made their way to the Octagon through Dana White’s Contender Series meet in the co-main event as Brendan Allen squares off with Edmen Shahbazyan.

Now 30 years old and closing in on the seven-year anniversary of his promotional debut, Allen closed out 2025 with a huge, short-notice stoppage win over Reinier de Ridder in Vancouver. The victory rocketed the Louisiana native into the Top 5, and now he looks to push his winning streak to three by making another statement against Shahbazyan

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“The Golden Boy” raced into the Top 15 in his first year on the roster, posting four wins and three finishes while looking like a future contender. Having successfully navigated a rocky period where wins were hard to come by, the Xtreme Couture man aims to extend his winning streak to four and climb higher in the rankings than he ever has before

Can Allen defend his place in the pecking order, or does Shahbazyan keep rolling and ride his momentum into the Top 10?

Fares Ziam vs Tom Nolan

Standout lightweights eyeing a place in the rankings meet here as France’s Fares Ziam squares off with Australia’s Tom Nolan.

Ziam debuted as a gangly 22-year-old with limited experience, but over the last six-plus years, he’s grown into his impressive frame and developed into an ascending threat in the 155-pound ranks, earning six straight wins heading into this one. Last time out, “Smile Killer” steamrolled Nazim Sadykhov, showcasing the full depth of his ever-improving game.

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Six straight wins and four consecutive finishes landed Nolan a place in the lightweight ranks following his appearance on Season 7 of Dana White’s Contender Series, but stumbling out of the gates prompted some to give up their seats on the “Big Train” bandwagon. But the Australian has since won four straight, bookending his success with first-round finishes to advance to 10-1 overall and take up residence on the doorstep of the Top 15.

This should be an ultra-instructive contest when it comes to understanding where each man fits within the divisional hierarchy at the moment. Ziam, who sits at No. 14 in the divisional ranks, is still trying to secure an opportunity to fight forward in the rankings, while Nolan can show that Quillan Salkilld isn’t the only promising Australian prospect on the roster.

Bryce Mitchell vs Santiago Luna

A late shift in opponents creates an arguably more interesting fight as Bryce Mitchell competes at bantamweight for a second time, facing off with unbeaten prospect Santiago Luna.

Following a long rum as a Top 15 featherweight, Mitchell shifted down a division last summer, earning a unanimous decision win over Said Nurmagomedov in his initial bantamweight appearance. Brandishing an 18-3 record overall and with his only losses coming against elite talent, “Thug Nasty” is an intriguing addition to the 135-pound ranks, and this is another opportunity to see how his grappling game translates in his new surrounds.

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Just 21 years old and already 2-0 inside the Octagon, Luna is one of the best prospects on the roster — a gritty and focused young talent with sharp finishing instincts, heaps of heart and moxie, and tons of room to continue to grow. He went the distance for the first time in his career back in February and can fast-track his ascent with a win over Mitchell this weekend.

Will Mitchell turn aside the undefeated “Borderboy” or is Luna poised to show he’s a burgeoning threat and genuine rising star in the bantamweight ranks?

Iwo Baraniewski vs Junior Tafa

Iwo Baraniewski and Junior Tafa lock horns in the opening bout of the main card, pairing up for what should be a combustible light heavyweight affair.

It hasn’t taken long, literally, for Baraniewski to become a fan favorite, with the undefeated Polish prospect registered his first two UFC wins in less than two minutes combined… and that’s after earning his contract with a 20-second knockout last season on Dana White’s Contender Series. Now 8-0, the 27-year-old is a grappler by trade, but has not needed to show any of his judo as of yet.

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Tafa has struggled to find consistent success inside the Octagon since landing on the roster in 2023 as a heavyweight. He migrated to the light heavyweight division last year and jumps in against Baraniewski barely a month after earning a first-round stoppage win over Kevin Christian in Perth.

This fight is going to end in a stoppage, and probably before the midway point of the opening frame. While anything is possible in this sport, anything other than a thunderous finish here would feel like a surprise. 

Preliminary Card Pairings

Matt Schnell vs Alessandro Costa

Flyweights close out the preliminary card slate as Matt Schnell faces off with Alessandro Costa.

Schnell nixed a hasty retirement last year, returning to action in April with a win over Jimmy Flick before landing on the wrong side of things against recent TUF winner Joseph Morales in November. Costa steps in for prospect Imanol Rodriguez, looking to collect a second win this year and maintain his 100-percent finishing rate inside the Octagon.

Marcus McGhee vs John Yannis

MMA Lab representative Marcus McGhee returns to action with designs on returning to the win column as he squares off with late replacement opponent John Yannis.

The 36-year-old McGhee fights for the first time since dropping a decision to current champ Petr Yan last August. After scoring a first-round stoppage win in April, Yannis fills in for Jakub Wiklacz with designs on earning a second straight victory and the biggest win of his career.

Bruno Silva vs Edgar Chairez

Flyweight rankings mainstay Bruno Silva puts his place in the Top 15 on the line on Saturday in a clash with streaking Mexican battler Edgar Chairez.

Silva, who occupied the final spot in the divisional rankings, landed on the wrong side of a split decision verdict in a clash with Charles Johnson earlier this year, falling to 1-3 over his last four in the process. Chairez enters with a 3-2 record with one no contest in six UFC starts, having earned victories in each of his last two appearances while only falling to the UFC 328 title fight participants, champ Joshua Van and challenger Tatsuro Taira.

Priscila Cachoeira vs Chelsea Chandler

Bantamweight sluggers Priscila Cachoeira and Chelsea Chandler meet in a matchup that could either serve as a jolt of electricity early in the card or something entirely different that no one is rooting to see.

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Cachoeira has a “kill or be killed” approach in the Octagon, offering big swings that produce highlight reel finishes and an abundance of opportunities to counter with force. Fighting for the first time in just over a year and just the fourth time in the last three years, Chandler looks to halt a two-fight skid and return to the form that produced five straight wins earlier in her career.

Jordan Leavitt vs Joanderson Brito

Jordan Leavitt and Joanderson Brito meet in a battle of Dana White’s Contender Series grads in the featherweight division.

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Leavitt enters on a two-fight winning streak, having built on his rapid finish of Kurt Holobaugh with a unanimous decision win over Yadier del Valle in his featherweight debut earlier this year. A member of the DWCS Class of ’21, Brito snapped a modest two-fight slide with a unanimous decision win over short-notice replacement Isaac Thomson on the final fight card of 2025.

Jeisla Chaves vs Yuneisy Duben

It’s Season 9 versus Season 8 in this all-Contender Series clash between Jeisla Chaves and Yuneisy Duben.

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Many debated the decision in Chaves’ win last season over Sofia Montenegro, but the competitive nature of the contest earned the Brazilian a spot on the roster nonetheless. Duben scored a massive upset knockout to claim her place on the roster, but then landed on the business end of a one-sided beating at the hands of Carli Judice last year in her debut.

Ketlen Souza vs Ariane Carnelosi

It’s a rematch between Brazilian strawweights to open the show as Ketlen Souza and Ariane Carnelosi renew acquaintances, this time, under the UFC banner.

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Souza, who landed on the wrong side of the results in the first meeting in 2019, started the year on a positive note back in February, earning a unanimous decision win over Bruna Brasil. Carnelosi looks to move to 2-0 in the series and get things moving in the right direction again after starting quick, fading hard, and getting submitted by Talita Alencar last time out.