Gabriel Bonfim will take on Nicolas Dalby in his homeland of Brazil this weekend at UFC Sao Paulo. At 15-0, Bonfim is a force to be reckoned with, and no one as yet has solved the puzzle that is ‘Marretinha’. Here we take a look at what makes the Brazilian welterweight such a threat.
UFC Sao Paulo: Gabriel Bonfim
Bonfim is a born finisher. All of his wins have come inside the distance (12 submissions and 3 KOs) and he is yet to see a second round in the UFC. Even though the 26-year-old is definitely one to watch, he will be up against his toughest challenge yet this weekend. Nicolas Dalby may be 38 years of age, but his experience will be valuable in this matchup. The well-rounded Danish fighter’s record stands at 22-4-1, and he has never been finished in his professional career.
What Makes Bonfim So Good?
The submission specialist Bonfim is an aggressive fighter both on the feet and on the canvas. In both of his UFC bouts, he started fast and ended the fights early with back-to-back submissions against Mounir Lazzez and Trevin Giles. He throws big, powerful strikes that can sometimes seem wild, but he has been successful with them and lands 6.08 strikes per minute. His bread and butter though is his ground game and this shows when looking at his stats and finishing ability. He scores 4.80 takedowns per 15 minutes and finishes takedown attempts 85% of the time. The Brazilian is constantly looking to advance his position on the ground and secures finishes this way time after time.
We still have a lot to learn about the Contender Series contract winner, but if he continues on this current trajectory he could be a title contender in the near future. The consensus seems to be that out of the two Bonfim brothers, (Ismael Bonfim being the elder) Gabriel is the one with the higher ceiling. Both are extremely athletic, but Gabriel remains unbeaten and appears to have the wider skillset. The welterweight division is an exciting place to be at the moment, and Gabriel Bonfim certainly adds to that. Contenders and fans alike are now beginning to keep a close eye on his rise.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
