Gabriel Bonfim Eyes Another Former UFC Welterweight Champion

LAS VEGAS – Gabriel Bonfim is eager to continue his quest of taking down former UFC welterweight champions. At UFC Fight Night 278 on Saturday, Bonfim (20-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) secured a unanimous decision victory over Belal Muhammad (24-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC), with all judges scoring the bout 50-45 in his favor, at Meta APEX in Las Vegas. Following his impressive win, Bonfim quickly set his sights on another notable name in the division: Jack Della Maddalena.

"He is my next opponent because the division is kind of muddy waters up there," Bonfim expressed during a post-fight press conference, speaking through a Portuguese-language interpreter. "Things are kind of scrambled up top. He's in the top five, and I feel that he needs to be my next opponent."

Della Maddalena (18-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC) has faced challenges recently, suffering a defeat to Islam Makhachev in November, followed by a stoppage loss to Carlos Prates in May. Currently, he does not have any scheduled fights lined up.

Bonfim is on a roll, having won five consecutive matches, with his previous victories including fights against Ange Loosa, Khaos Williams, Stephen Thompson, and Randy Brown. His only setback in the UFC came from a comeback loss to Nicolas Dalby in November 2023.