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Gabriel Bonfim has the momentum with him, but the big question is: Can he go five rounds and handle the spotlight?
Gabriel Bonfim.
Gabriel ‘Marretinha’ Bonfim will, for the first time, have the spotlight squarely on him on November 8, 2025 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Not because he is up against a formidable foe in the Randy Brown, but because of what the billing represents – Main event. Five rounds.
“I’m very happy,” Bonfim tells News18 Sports in an exclusive interaction on his main event spot. “It’s a great opportunity. Fighting against a guy like Randy Brown in the main event, I think it’s an opportunity to make my name.”
Bonfim arrives with an 18 -1 record with 13 submission wins and three knockouts. In the UFC, after his four-win streak was snapped at the hands of Nicolas Dalby in 2023, he has conjured up a three-match winning streak, but against Brown it is uncharted territory for the Brazilian.
Five Rounds Uncharted Territory
The 14th ranked welterweight Bonfim enters his first five-round assignment – a test he has never faced before. In fact, only two of his 18 wins have gone to the scorecards in three rounds. His arsenal of guillotines, D’arce chokes and pressure wrestling has overwhelmed most opponents early, but Brown brings a different challenge at 6’3″ with a 78-inch reach and nearly a decade of UFC experience.
“Yeah, we changed a lot in the preparation,” Bonfim says. “We changed a lot of sparring as well. We prepared for five or six rounds.”
The extra sixth round is more like an insurance. His only professional defeat – a second-round TKO to Nicolas Dalby in São Paulo highlighted the work to be done on Bonfim’s cardio and endurance. A fact he later admitted – after the bout – saying he wasn’t properly conditioned for that fight.
A Loss That Changed Everything
The loss eventually became a turning point. He and his brother Ismael left Cerrado MMA and opened Bonfim Brothers Academy in 2024.
The results came quickly. With older brother Odair ‘Samuray’ Bonfim and luta-livre specialist Renato Ferreira guiding him, Bonfim got his mojo back.
However, Brown is coming into the fight with a win over Dalby – the same opponent who handed Bonfim in only loss – in April. “Yes, I think there were some very good insights there,” Bonfim says when asked about the Brown-Dalby bout. “It was a quick fight between him and Dalby, but I got to see some things as well. He’s fought some of my friends as well, so I got a lot of studying done.”
A win over Brown would put Bonfim on the doorstep of the welterweight top 10, and he is already looking ahead. “I want Colby Covington or Joaquin Buckley,” he says straight up without even thinking for second.
Yet, for a fighter with just one UFC loss and a sky-high finishing rate, he is realistic when talking about where he see himself in a stacked division in the next 12 months. “I see myself, at the start of next year, looking into a top 10 opponent. And by the end of the year, I want to be in the top 5.”
The Pressure of Fighting Alongside His Brother
Fighting runs deep in the Bonfim family and interestingly, Gabriel will have his older brother Ismael with him at Las Vegas – not just as a support system, but on the very card, fighting. They have shared three UFC cards, most notably at UFC 283 in Rio, where both scored early wins.
They will do it again on November 8, as Ismael faces Chris Padilla in lightweight.
“I think there’s a little bit of pressure, yes,” Bonfim admits. “I always end up fighting after him, so I’ve gotten used to it. There’s only been one time where he actually fought after me. But I’ve gotten accustomed to it – I’ve gotten used to that.”
Inspired by ‘Do Bronx’
Born into a family of 11 siblings in Brasília, Bonfim grew up amid hardship. His father left while battling alcoholism, forcing older siblings to work to keep the household afloat. Boxing became his escape at 14, and by 17 he moved into MMA, inspired by his fighting brothers. He went on to win amateur and professional Brazilian boxing titles before realizing his future lay in grappling and he has often cited former UFC lightweight champion Charles Olivera as his inspiration.
“I think it’s the part of the story where he comes from nothing,” Bonfim says of Oliveira. “He comes from humble beginnings, just like me. And also, he’s a tremendous fighter in the UFC. That’s someone I’ve always tried to mirror myself as a fighter in the UFC.”
A Barista Outside the Cage
Talking about anything other than fighting, Bonfim turns into something else entirely.
“You know, something different about me – I like to make coffee,” he says with a grin. “I’m a barista. I love making coffee. I love coffee.”
Before the UFC, Bonfim worked as a boxing teacher. Today, he spends most of his free time with his 10-month-old daughter.
“I like to spend a lot of time with my daughter,” he says. “She’s 10 months old. I learn so much from her, so I try to spend as much time with her as possible. That’s what I like to spend my time doing – my hobby is being with my family.”
But for now, Bonfim’s focus is on his first main event and first five round bout and standing opposite him is the imposing Brown with a size and reach advantage, add to that a veteran experience as well. Bonfim though has momentum with him, but the big question is: Can he go five rounds and handle the spotlight?
Watch UFC Fight Night – Bonfim vs. Brown on 9th November 2025 from 5:30 AM IST live on Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD (Tamil & Telugu).
Vineet R, an accomplished sports journalist with over 13 years of experience in digital media, currently serves as the Associate Editor – Sports at CricketNext and News18 Sports. With a specialization in cricke…Read More
Vineet R, an accomplished sports journalist with over 13 years of experience in digital media, currently serves as the Associate Editor – Sports at CricketNext and News18 Sports. With a specialization in cricke… Read More
November 05, 2025, 17:14 IST
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