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The Octagon returns this Saturday night where a pair of Brazilian brothers will be back in action.
After UFC 312 this past weekend, we return to the Apex on Saturday where back in 2022, Gabriel Bonfim and Ismael Bonfim turned heads when it was announced that both siblings would be competing on the same episode of Dana White’s Contender Series.
Older brother Ismael secured a decision win with Gabriel submitting his opponent in the first round with both of them earning UFC contracts.
At UFC 283 the following January, they shared the card once again and made an instant impact in the UFC by producing two impressive finishes.
The Bonfim brothers are now set to fight on the same night again this Saturday at UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Rodrigues on February 15 where the former middleweight title challenger takes on a rising contender in the main event.
Ismael and Gabriel Bonfim secured debut finishes in Rio
After booking their tickets to the big show via the Contender Series, the Bonfim brothers arrived at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro as two new and exciting Brazilian signings.
The Brazilian fighters alternated wins and losses to open the card but then came time for Ismael Bonfim’s UFC debut where he would face the always unpredictable Terrance McKinney who in four UFC fights was yet to see a second round.
His fight with Bonfim did make it out of the opening stanza but the Brazilian was significantly pulling ahead when after hurting his opponent and backing him up to the cage, he uncorked one of the most devastating flying knees we’ve seen inside the Octagon to record one of the best knockouts of 2023.
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His brother Gabriel made the walk three fights later and he certainly had a lot to live up to after the world saw what Ismael was capable of.
He may not have earned a performance bonus for his win but a slick guillotine choke over Mounir Lazzez inside the opening minute of the fight is about as smooth as UFC debuts get.
The Bonfim brothers look to build momentum alongside one another on February 15
Since UFC 283, the Bonfim brothers haven’t fought on the same card again but this changes on Saturday night at the Apex.
Ismael only made the walk once last year where he recorded a unanimous decision win over Vinc Pichel at UFC 301 to bounce back from his loss to Benoit Saint-Denis.
He will face Nazim Sadykhov, who has earned consecutive wins since arriving in the UFC’s lightweight division.
Gabriel will be facing American knockout artist Khaos Williams in another exciting matchup as he looks to build on his win over Ange Loosa last time out.
