Bonfim returns to action for the first time since his February encounter with Nazim Sadykhov went from bad to worse in a span of about a minute, as the Brazilian went from clearly being ahead to getting blasted with a punch that blew up his eye and ultimately ended the fight. Now 2-2 through his first four trips into the Octagon, the DWCS grad will look to maintain his “win one, lose one” pattern this weekend.
This is the third time that the Bonfim Brothers have competed on the same UFC card, with Gabriel having won each time and Ismael having gone 1-1 in those two starts. The good thing for the elder of the rostered siblings is that Gabriel fights later, so Ismael won’t be impacted by an unsatisfying result, and can look to set the tone for the family for the evening, though Padilla will certainly have something to say about that come Saturday.
Ricky Simon vs Raoni Barcelos
Veteran bantamweights Ricky Simon and Raoni Barcelos clash in this main card fixture.
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A three-fight slide (against currently ranked opposition) dropped Simon from the Top 15, but the Washington state man has since rebounded with back-to-back wins. He sent the partisan crowd in Seattle into hysterics with his knockout win over Javid Basharat in February, and followed that up with a mature, professional decision win over Cameron Smotherman in June.
A mainstay in the division for the last seven years, Barcelos goes in search of his third win this year and fourth straight victory on Friday night. After submitting Cristian Quinonez in his lone 2024 appearance, the 38-year-old Brazilian has opened his 2025 campaign with consecutive decision wins over rising star Payton Talbott and former champ Cody Garbrandt.
