UFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs. Brown Preview
Gabriel Bonfim clips Stephen Thompson with a left hook. Credit: MMA Fighting.
The UFC heads to its headquarters at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, with an excellent Fight Night card. The entire card has been filled with outstanding matchups, rising stars, and established veterans all looking to score a bonus-earning victory this Saturday. In the co-main event, two exciting flyweights will face off when the always-game Matt Schnell takes on TUF 33 winner Joseph Morales. In the main event, we’ll see two dangerous Welterweight finishers collide when submission ace Gabriel Bonfim challenges knockout artist Randy Brown. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.
Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Marco Tulio
Christian Leroy Duncan tags Andrey Pulyaev with a left hand. Credit: MMA Junkie.
Middleweight Bout
Christian Leroy Duncan: 12-2-0, 9 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.
Marco Tulio: 14-1-0, 10 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.
Duncan has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Andrey Pulyaev (10-3-0), Claudio Ribeiro (11-5-0), and Eryk Anders (17-9-0). He’s a flashy striker with power in both hands and an expansive arsenal of kicks. He’s unpredictable, constantly moving and switching stances while attempting spinning and jumping attacks. Duncan is highly accurate and efficient, throwing every shot purposefully without loading up or overextending. He’s excellent at controlling the center of the cage, forcing his opponent to the outside of the Octagon while fighting behind his jab and piecing them up with clean shots. Training at Range MMA Academy, he’s willing to grapple and will occasionally shoot takedowns, advancing very quickly and raining down heavy ground and pound when in top position. Duncan carries his power across all three rounds and is always dangerous, capable of creating a highlight-reel finish at any moment.
Marco Tulio lands a thudding right hand on Tresean Gore. Credit: MMA Mania.
Tulio is on a ten-fight win streak, holding UFC victories over Tresean Gore (6-4-0) and Ihor Potieria (20-8-0). He’s a devastating Muay Thai striker with serious power in his hands and kicks. He throws everything with knockout intentions but remains accurate and technical, doing an excellent job of varying his strikes between his opponent’s legs, head, and body. Tulio has great head movement and distance management, often firing kicks at range and remaining safe before closing the distance and unloading his hands inside the pocket. Training at Chute Boxe DL, he won’t typically pursue takedowns but is dangerous in top position and will constantly look to posture up and land ground and pound. He can do damage with or without space, regularly landing powerful knees and elbows in the pocket or in the clinch. Tulio comes out guns blazing from the opening bell and is especially dangerous early on, with more than half of his knockouts coming in the first round.
Chris Padilla vs. Ismael Bonfim
Chris Padilla viciously submits James Llontop with a rear naked choke. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Lightweight Bout
Chris Padilla: 16-6-0, 8 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.
Ismael Bonfim: 20-5-0, 9 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.
Padilla is on a six-fight win streak with UFC victories coming over Jai Herbert (13-6-1), Rongzhu (27-6-0), and James Llontop (14-5-0). He’s a well-rounded fighter with powerful striking and outstanding wrestling skills. He’s patient, typically floating along the outside of the cage and looking to draw his opponent in so he can either counterstrike or shoot a takedown. Padilla has accurate hands, outstanding elbows and knees, and heats up as the fight continues, letting his hands go and hanging in the pocket more often. His striking often sets up his grappling, distracting his opponents with his power and landing kicks from range before blitzing forward to secure a takedown. Training at Fight Science MMA, he’s averaging over 1 takedown landed per 15 minutes and is very explosive, able to secure blast double-legs and perform powerful slam takedowns. Padilla gains confidence as the fight goes on, but he’s still very dangerous early, with ten of his thirteen finishes coming in round one.
Ismael Bonfim lands a heavy body shot on Vinc Pichel. Credit: MMA Junkie.
Bonfim has won three of his last five bouts, with UFC victories coming over Terrance McKinney (17-7-0) and Vinc Pichel (14-5-0). He is an exceptional striker with great technical boxing and fantastic range management. He does an excellent job of varying his shots, attacking the head and body with equal tenacity and always pursuing a finish. Bonfim is willing to brawl inside the pocket, has devastating knees, and throws everything in combination. He is extremely explosive and always coming forward, often looking to land countershots. Training at Cerrado MMA, he has great cardio and can throw with power and volume, rarely gassing himself out or overextending. Bonfim is at his best when dictating the pace and controlling the center of the Octagon, searching for counters and fight-ending shots.
Muslim Salikhov vs. Uroš Medić
Muslim Salikhov lands a brutal spinning wheel kick on Song Kenan. Credit: MMA Mania.
Welterweight Bout
Muslim Salikhov: 22-5-0, 15 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.
Uroš Medić: 11-3-0, 9 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.
Salikhov has won three of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Carlos Leal (22-7-0), Song Kenan (22-9-0), and Santiago Ponzinibbio (31-9-0). He holds the rank of Master of Sport in Wushu Sanda and a pro kickboxing record of 185-13 with 76 wins by knockout. He’s a dangerous knockout artist with big-time power and outstanding technical skills. Salikhov has an impressive arsenal of kicks, particularly his array of spinning attacks that he’ll constantly set up and throw. Training at the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov School, he’s defensively sound, having defended 62% of significant strikes attempted on him in the UFC. He is willing to grapple and averages just over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes, and will rain down devastating ground and pound when in top position. Salikhov is highly experienced and very tough to put away, always coming forward and looking to do damage throughout the fight.
Uroš Medić lands a powerful left hand on Gilbert Urbina. Credit: MMA Mania.
Medić has won three of his last five fights, holding UFC victories over Matthew Semelsberger (11-8-0), Omar Morales (11-4-0), and Tim Means (33-17-1). He’s a powerful kickboxer with great footwork and excellent kicks. He does an outstanding job varying his shots, attacking the head and body evenly while remaining technical. Medić throws everything with power and will regularly mix kicks in at the end of combinations. Training at Kings MMA, he favors power over volume but has solid cardio and can maintain a consistent pace across 15 minutes. He’s highly accurate, landing 60% of the significant strikes he’s attempted in the UFC, and can produce a flash knockout at any time. He won’t typically initiate grappling exchanges, but will not accept a position on his back and will pursue submissions. Medić has only seen the third round once and has not been to a decision, with ten of his fourteen fights ending in the first round.
Matt Schnell vs. Joseph Morales
Matt Schnell exchanges blows inside the pocket with Jimmy Flick. Credit: MMA Junkie.
Flyweight Bout
Matt Schnell: 17-9-0, 2 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.
Joseph Morales: 14-2-0, 2 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.
Schnell has won two of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Sumudaerji (18-7-0), Tyson Nam (21-14-1), and Louis Smolka (17-9-0). He’s dangerous anywhere the fight goes with excellent, gritty striking and outstanding grappling. He has solid speed and power in his hands, often using his striking to set up his grappling. Schnell does a great job of capitalizing on his opponent’s mistakes and regularly grabs chokes when defending takedowns. He has a slick submission game, particularly his chokes, with seven of his nine submission wins coming via guillotine or triangle. Training at Fortis MMA, he favors his hands but has a black belt in karate and a sneaky arsenal of kicks to back up his boxing. Half of Schnell’s professional bouts have ended in the first round, and he’s never in a boring fight.
Joseph Morales submits Alibi Idiris with a triangle choke. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Morales is on a five-fight win streak and is making his official UFC debut after defeating Alibi Idiris (11-1-0) to become the Flyweight winner of the Ultimate Fighter 33. He’s an outstanding technical fighter with excellent boxing and grappling skills. Morales is constantly coming forward and pressuring his opponent, forcing them to the outside of the cage and landing damage with precise punches. He does an excellent job of mixing body shots into combinations, never gets sloppy or drawn into brawls, and always keeps his hands high and his striking sharp and technical. Training with Team Alpha Male, he has powerful takedowns, typically landing them in open space, and is relentless in top position, constantly advancing and pursuing submissions. He excels at taking his opponent’s back and is very tough to shake off, maintaining control and always choosing position over submission. Morales is dangerous at all times and carries his power and speed throughout the fight, having secured his last two finish wins after the first round.
Gabriel Bonfim vs. Randy Brown
Gabriel Bonfim secures a powerful takedown on Khaos Williams. Credit: Zuffa LLC.
Welterweight Bout
Gabriel Bonfim: 18-1-0, 3 KO/TKO, 13 Sub.
Randy Brown: 20-6-0, 8 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.
Bonfim has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Stephen Thompson (17-9-1), Khaos Williams (15-5-0), and Trevin Giles (16-7-0). He always comes out guns blazing, throwing bombs, and looking for an early finish. Fighting behind his jab, he employs crisp boxing and consistently throws in combination, possessing excellent speed and power in his hands. Bonfim loves to engage in the pocket and tends to headhunt, but won’t get sloppy; he always keeps his guard high and his punches tight and straight. He has a lethal submission game, can find chokes from seemingly anywhere, and has fantastic takedowns. Training at Cerrado MMA, he advances with lightning speed on the ground and always pursues a finish. Bonfim has secured all of his submission victories via choke and can finish the fight quickly if he gets a hold of his opponent’s neck.
Randy Brown blasts Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos with a vicious knee. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Brown has won four of his last five fights, with UFC wins coming over Khaos Williams (15-4-0), Francisco Trinaldo (28-9-0), and Muslim Salikhov (21-5-0). He’s a lengthy fighter with serious knockout power and a sneaky submission game. He uses his size well, staying at range and piecing his opponent up with long straights and jabs. Brown throws every shot with purpose and will constantly fire attacks up the middle, particularly with front kicks and especially his right cross. Brown has solid power in both hands and devastating knees and elbows inside the clinch. Averaging just under a takedown landed per fifteen minutes, he does an excellent job mixing grappling into his striking, often using his length in the clinch to get his opponent to the mat. Training at Budokan Martial Arts, Brown gets increasingly dangerous as the fight goes on and has secured nine of his thirteen finishes in the second or third round.
Best Bets
Chris Padilla Moneyline: This is an outstanding matchup of two very different but dangerous Lightweights. Padilla has solid striking but primarily relies on his outstanding wrestling and dangerous BJJ skills to secure victory. Bonfim, on the other hand, is almost a pure striker, throwing every shot with big-time power and constantly pursuing a knockout. Although Bonfim has a power advantage when they’re on their feet, I believe his wild striking style and desire for early finishes may be his downfall in this matchup. Padilla has shown an excellent ability to lull his opponent in and let them get comfortable striking before suddenly shooting in to land a powerful takedown. I expect to see him do the same to Bonfim. I anticipate Bonfim coming out guns blazing and pushing a heavy pace, throwing constant bombs and overswinging as Padilla remains elusive and lands shots of his own. As Bonfim continues pushing the action, I expect Padilla to find success with his takedowns, slowing the pace and wearing down Bonfim's explosiveness. I believe Padilla will be able to control and damage Bonfim on the mat, and as Bonfim starts to gas out, Padilla will take full control, start doing damage in top position, and set up submissions. Whether by finish or decision, I believe that Padilla will emerge the victor.
Muslim Salikhov Moneyline: In this exciting matchup, we’ll see two dangerous Welterweight knockout artists face off inside the Octagon. Medić is the more orthodox striker of the two, favoring the devastating power in his hands to batter and finish his opponents. Salikhov is an unusual fighter who relies heavily on his outstanding kicking game, especially spinning kicks, to earn highlight-reel victories. While both are very dangerous, Salikhov has the larger arsenal of attacks and striking options. Not to say that Medić is limited, but he doesn't have anywhere near the type of kicks that Salikhov does. Salikhov also has superior grappling to Medić, and while he won't often look to bring the fight to the mat, he certainly has the option to do so. I expect this fight to start quickly, with both fighters throwing with knockout intentions from the opening bell. I expect Salikhov to float along the outside, remaining elusive as he lights up Medić with high and low kicks and heavy punches. As Salikhov continues to do damage, I expect Medić's aggression and pace to wane, and for Salikhov to take control of the fight. As Medić slows, I anticipate Salikhov opening up and finding success with his arsenal of spinning kicks en route to another impressive victory.
Bonfim vs. Brown to Not Go the Distance: This is an intriguing matchup of two dangerous strikers that I’ve been looking forward to. Both of these fighters have proven to be prolific finishers in their professional MMA careers. In a combined 38 victories, they’ve finished 29 of those fights, and 34 of their combined 45 fights have not gone to the scorecards. Although both rarely go the distance, neither tends to earn their finishes early on, with seventeen of their combined twenty-nine finish wins coming after round one. Both have very different ways of earning these victories as well, with Brown being more of a knockout artist with a solid submission game, and Bonfim being essentially a submission specialist with solid power. Both have the skills to exploit their opponent's weaknesses, and both have been finished inside the UFC before. This is also a significant matchup for both fighters, with both coming off victories and looking for a landmark win to place them in the top 15. Regardless of who takes this fight or how, I’m confident that this fight will end before the final bell sounds.
