Fighting brothers Gabriel and Ismael Bonfim enjoyed a double celebration at the UFC Apex as they both earned UFC contracts after claiming victories on Week 7 of Dana White’s Contender Series.
Gabriel Bonfim got the job done in just four minutes, 13 seconds as he defeated Trey Waters via first-round Von Flue choke to earn his spot on the UFC roster.
Earlier in the night, Ismael Bonfim needed a little longer to secure his place in the UFC, as he battled all the way to the scorecards with Nariman Abbasov to claim a unanimous decision victory with scores of 30-27, 30-27, 29-28.
The night saw UFC president White hand out four contracts in total, with Vitor Petrino and Karl Williams also earning UFC deals for their efforts.
Here’s our recap of the action from the UFC Apex:
Vitor Petrino def. Rodolfo Bellato via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 3:36
In the main event of the evening, Brazilian light heavyweight Vitor Petrino knocked out fellow countryman Rodolfo Bellato with a thunderous left hand in the second round.
As the pair exchanged strikes mid-way through the round, Bellato got a little wild and, after whiffing with one punch, attempted to connect with a spinning backfist.
Petrino avoided the strike and fired back with a huge left hand that flatted his foe for a show-stopping knockout to take his record to 7-0.
Gabriel Bonfim def. Trey Waters via submission (Von Flue choke) – Round 1, 4:13
Gabriel Bonfim and Trey Waters wasted no time letting their hands go in the opening exchanges of their welterweight clash, with Bonfim repeately connecting with solid shots on his opponent.
But the Brazilian had a different route to victory planned and, after getting Waters settled into a striking matchup, he smartly switched styles and took his opponent to the mat.
After shrugging off a defensive guillotine choke attempt from Waters, Bonfim settled into his work on the deck and eventually moved to side control before leaning in and finishing his man with a crushing Von Flue choke to extend his perfect professional record to 13-0.
Karl Williams def. Jimmy Lawson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Thirty-two-year-old light heavyweight Karl Williams earned himself a spot on the UFC roster after stepping in on 10 days’ notice and moving up a weight class to defeat Jimmy Lawson via unanimous decision.
Takedowns and top control were the order of the day as Williams used his wrestling to dominate Lawson on the mat in each of the three rounds to earn scores of 30-27 from all three judges, and a UFC contract from White.
Ismael Bonfim def. Nariman Abbasov via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
The older of the two Bonfim brothers booked his spot on the UFC roster after a back-and-forth striking battle with Nariman Abbasov.
Bonfim looked the more accomplished striker as he hammered his opponent to the head and body throughout the three rounds to earn scores of 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 from the judges.
Bonfim’s display also suitably impressed White, who awarded the Brazilian a contract at the conclusion of the event.
Tereza Bleda def. Nayara Maia via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Czech flyweight hopeful Tereza Bleda handed Brazil’s Nayara Maia the first defeat of her career, while extending her own perfect record to 6-0, but it wasn’t enough to earn herself a UFC deal.
Bleda’s superiority in the wrestling and grappling exchanges was key as she ran out a dominant victor, earning 30-26 scorecards with each of the three octagonside judges at the UFC Apex.
Unfortunately, White was looking for a more explosive performance, and Bleda ended up as the only bout winner not to earn a UFC deal on the night.
Dana White’s Contender Series: Week 7 Results
- Vitor Petrino def. Rodolfo Bellato via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 3:36
- Gabriel Bonfim def. Trey Waters via submission (Von Flue choke) – Round 1, 4:13
- Karl Williams def. Jimmy Lawson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Ismael Bonfim def. Nariman Abbasov via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Tereza Bleda def. Nayara Maia via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
