Athletes
Gabriel Bonfim | Leveled Up By A Legend
Brazilian Welterweight Contender Is Still Growing, And Still Learning As A Fighter, As He Makes His Way Up The 170-Pound Division
It’s often said that fighters learn more from their losses than their wins. But when Gabriel Bonfim looks at his career so far, he sees it differently.
While Bonfim admits that his 2023 TKO defeat to Nicolas Dalby was a major learning moment for his career, he said that his game has been taken to new heights by the opponent from a fight he won.
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Bonfim’s last outing came in Nashville, Tennessee, in July, where he faced off against two-time welterweight title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. After a highly competitive 15 minutes in the cage with the striking ace, Bonfim emerged with his hand raised in victory after edging a split-decision verdict. But in reality, “Marretinha” came away with far more than just his 18th pro win.
"Stephen Thompson's a well-rounded guy, and the most experienced guy in the division. So, of course, after watching and analyzing my fight with him, I grew so much,” Bonfim told UFC.com
“I grew more from that fight than from my loss (to Dalby). I learned more from fighting Stephen Thompson and winning, with all the experience, than I learned from my loss.”
The reason for that assessment was the fact that, against “Wonderboy”, Bonfim quickly realized he had to be switched on and have an in-fight awareness at a level he’d never experienced or needed before.
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“He was a guy that I could not blink. I had to stay focused and dialed-in the entire time,” he explained.
“I had to defend everything. If I blinked, he would kick. So I defended his kicks and (had to) be aware, very wary. He's got good takedown defense. So just (for my) overall mindset and (for) me to be dialed in for the fight, that was the biggest growth I had from fighting Stephen Thompson.”
Full Fight | Gabriel Bonfim vs Trevin Giles
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Full Fight | Gabriel Bonfim vs Trevin Giles
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That’s not to say he didn’t pick up valuable lessons from his stoppage defeat to Dalby. Bonfim looked to be on the fast track to the top before he ran into a seasoned veteran of the game who put him under pressure in ways he hadn’t experienced in the UFC to that point. It was a valuable experience, albeit a somewhat painful one.
“It was a huge milestone of change for me,” he admitted.
“I grew more and saw I needed to adapt, I needed to grow. And I'm more and more confident I can fight three-(round), five-round fights. I needed that loss to grow, and it really developed my full potential. So that did a lot for me.”
Those two fights – one loss, one win – have helped Bonfim take his skills to a new level, and he says he’s ready to showcase the latest iteration of his fighting arsenal on Saturday night at the UFC APEX, where he’ll take on Randy Brown in the main event of the evening.
It’s a matchup that pits Bonfim against a tall, rangy welterweight who carries finishing power. He also holds a victory over Bonfim’s nemesis, Dalby, from his most recent outing. Despite Brown’s physical gifts, Bonfim says he’s ready to turn those advantages into disadvantages on fight night.
“I’ve (already) been fighting guys that are long, with long range, and are good strikers,” he said.
Gabriel Bonfim on UFC UNFILTERED
“So it's going to adapt and fall right into my game, and I think it's going to be an amazing performance from me on Saturday.”
It’s a chance for Bonfim to build on a resumé that has already propelled him to 14th in the official UFC welterweight rankings. And while Brown is the man looking to steal Bonfim’s spot, Bonfim says that he has what it takes to put Brown on the back foot, before creating an opening to score a knockout finish.
“I really believe I will knock him out,” he predicted.
“I’m going to press him with forward pressure and volume, and I think eventually I’m going to land my punch and knock him out.”
The event also gives Bonfim another chance to share a fight card with his older brother, Ismael, who is in action earlier in the night against Chris Padilla.
“We’re very used to fighting together on the same card, and train together at the same time. Of course, there’s emotions involved, but we can manage the emotions and, the way we see it, it’s going to be two great fights, two finishes and two bonuses.
"It’s gonna be an amazing feeling. It's not just for me and my brother, but my family, all of my city, my hometown. It’s not only for us, for the families, for the entire city, town, community that’s behind us, and cheers for us. All this is going to mean so much to us.”
Ultimately, though, Bonfim wants to leave the UFC APEX having added not just another notable win to his record, but a win against another different type of fighter, as he looks to gather experience and increase his knowledge en route to the top of the 170-pound class.
“I love to fight diverse fighters,” he enthused.
“I’ve fought wrestlers, I fought strikers. This makes me grow, evolve and adapt so I can be ready to one day be the champion of the division.”
UFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs Brown took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 8, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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