GABRIEL BONFIM | FIGHTING SOLO

"I believe it’s the nerves of watching him fight,” he added, echoing a sentiment shared by many siblings when asked about sharing a card or even simply watching the other make the walk and compete. “You have to be very focused on your bout on fight night. Even though I have tremendous confidence in him, it's best to have all of your focus on just your fight.”

So far, the 27-year-old Brazilian is 2-0 when sharing a card with his older brother, and his one and only setback has come on a night where Ismael was not in action.

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Paired off with Nicolas Dalby on the UFC’s first card in Sao Paulo in a number of years, the then-unbeaten welterweight came out of the gates sharp, but could not get the Danish veteran to relent, yet alone wilt. As the fight progressed to the second round, Bonfim’s energy reserves started to run dry, while the notoriously well-conditioned Dane just kept coming, ultimately overwhelming the highly regarded prospect before the round expired. 

“I learned many things,” said Bonfim when asked about the takeaways from his lone career loss. “But the main one was the importance of maturity — in life and in fighting — and I've grown a lot in a short time since that fight.”

The evidence of that statement has been apparent in his two outings since.

Eight months after his loss to Dalby, Bonfim returned to action in Denver, earning a unanimous decision win over Ange Loosa in a fight where his conditioning was once again tested and he wasn’t able to dispatch his foe, despite his best efforts. It was the first time “Marretinha” earned a victory on the scorecards in his career, and an important growth moment for the emerging talent.

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And then earlier this year, the younger Bonfim looked to set the tone for the family early in the night, striding into the Octagon and delivering his most complete and measured performance to date. 

“Yes, I had total control of the fight,” he said of his bout with Williams, where he displayed greater patience and poise in allowing the fight — and ultimately the finish — to come to him, rather than attempting to chase it down. “(I attribute that) to my training, and being able to carry out the game plan successfully.”

Registering that second consecutive win and doing it with style points has resulted in Bonfimgarnering the biggest opportunity of his career thus far on Saturday, when he’ll stand opposite Thompson in Nashville. 

Do not let his recent results fool you: “Wonderboy” has been one of the top welterweights in the UFC for the last decade, developing from an intriguing prospect to a contender and two-time title challenger before settling into life as a Top 10 mainstay and perennial litmus test for ascending hopefuls over the last handful of years.

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Yes, he’s struggled to earn positive results and enters this weekend’s meeting with the emerging Bonfim having dropped consecutive contests and four of his last five, but everyone that bested him during that stretch remains stationed in the Top 10 in the 170-pound weight class, including former champ Belal Muhammad and unbeaten top contender Shavkat Rakhmonov.

“I was very happy for the opportunity, and I'm excited about this fight,” said Bonfim when asked his reaction to getting Thompson’s name. “I told them to send me the contract immediately.

“I feel honored to fight with a legend,” he added. “I have great respect for Thompson, but my moment to shine has come.”

While some like to lament matchups like this on behalf of the veteran competitors they believe are being led to the slaughter and used to elevate their younger counterparts, the reality is that this happens in every sport — veterans give way to less seasoned players with more upside and years in front of them in football, baseball, and everything else — and there have been many instances where reports of the tenured fighter’s demise has been greatly exaggerated.

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Heck, Thompson has rebuffed ascending fighters himself on multiple occasions, halting a two-fight slide by getting the better of Vicente Luque before making a quick turnaround and doing the same to Geoff Neal a few weeks later. And his lone win over his last five came in a bout with Kevin Holland where the popular, talkative Texas resident couldn’t impose his will and was ultimately forced to throw in the towel due to a broken hand.

But Bonfim doesn’t have any intention of getting turned aside this weekend, viewing this co-main event opportunity as a chance to earn a victory over a legend, garner a place in the rankings, and continue pushing towards the next goal on his professional checklist.

“It means I'm getting closer to the championship,” he said when asked where a victory over Thompson would put him in the ultra-competitive welterweight ranks. “I want to win with an excellent performance and then fight a Top 5 opponent.”

He’s even got an opponent in mind. 

“Leon Edwards would be great.”