Bonfim outpoints Belal Muhammad in Las Vegas as UFC Vegas 118 delivers a finish-heavy undercard

UFC Fight Night at Meta APEX in Las Vegas produced a clear main-event conclusion and a busy undercard, headlined by Gabriel Bonfim’s unanimous decision win over former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad. Bonfim’s control translated into a 50-45 decision on all three scorecards, a result that reshapes the near-term momentum for both welterweights as the sport continues to sort out the next set of contenders.

The co-main event also stayed on the feet, with Brendan Allen earning a unanimous decision over Edmen Shahbazyan. Allen, described as the No. 4-ranked middleweight contender by Sportsnet, took two rounds cleanly at 30-27 and won the third at 29-28 to complete the sweep and keep his position near the front of the division.

A bantamweight highlight followed in the third round, when Bryce Mitchell submitted Santiago Luna with an arm-triangle choke at 4:52. Sportsnet framed Mitchell’s win as a meaningful shakeup in the UFC’s 135-pound pecking order, and the timing mattered, coming after a full two rounds of work that led to the late finish.

The night’s stoppages did not slow down. Iwo Baraniewski forced a technical knockout of Junior Tafa at 1:25 of Round 1, while Alessandro Costa turned the prelim spotlight into a quick win, stopping Matt Schnell by TKO at 2:32 of Round 1. On the ground, Edgar Chairez added a rear-naked choke finish over Bruno Silva at 4:13 of Round 1, and Chelsea Chandler submitted Priscila Cachoeira with an armbar at 3:42.

The UFC Vegas 118 card stayed finish-oriented through its final stretch. Joanderson Brito earned a front-choke submission of Jordan Leavitt at 4:19 of Round 1, Ketlen Souza capped the women’s action with a knockout of Ariane Carnelossi at 1:34 of Round 1, and Jeisla Chaves edged Yuneisy Duben via split decision. Other fights on the card, including Marcus McGhee’s unanimous decision win over John Yannis and Tom Nolan’s unanimous decision over Fares Ziam, rounded out the 12-bout slate.

Financially, the promotion’s post-fight awards reflected the card’s mix of elite craft and finishing bursts. Boxingnews reported that four fighters received $100,000 each, with Iwo Baraniewski and Edgar Chairez earning Performance of the Night honors, and Brendan Allen splitting Fight of the Night with Edmen Shahbazyan. Boxingnews also listed additional $25,000 finish bonuses for Bryce Mitchell, Alessandro Costa, Chelsea Chandler, Joanderson Brito, and Ketlen Souza.

The key next question is how the UFC matches outcomes to its broader title pathway. For Bonfim and Allen, wins of this kind usually widen the conversation toward future high-stakes matchups, even if the exact timing depends on what the champion and the ranking committee decide next. For the fighters who finished inside the first round or in the later moments, UFC matchmaking will likely reward that momentum, while the decision winners will be tested by whether they can translate positional dominance into faster, more spectacular results.