Gabriel Bonfim wants ranked opponent in Brazil after Giles

SALT LAKE CITY – Gabriel Bonfim has a job to do Saturday in Utah. He little question is aware of that.

However that doesn’t imply the unbeaten 25-year-old Brazilian can’t be a little bit bit future-minded. He sees the calendar and is aware of the UFC has a return to his dwelling nation deliberate for November in Sao Paulo. It’s not exhausting to attach the dots.

“I’m profitable right here,” Bonfim mentioned at Wednesday’s media day for UFC 291. “I wish to struggle a ranked man. If somebody needs to face me, if that’s a risk, I need to struggle an opponent like that – and if potential, in November in Brazil with my brother.”

For Bonfim (14-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), his “profitable right here” welterweight try will come towards the seasoned Trevin Giles (16-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) to shut out the ABC- and ESPN-broadcast prelims from Delta Middle in Salt Lake Metropolis forward of the primary card on pay-per-view.

Bonfim received to the UFC by way of Dana White’s Contender Sequence in 2022 alongside together with his brother, Ismael, on the identical episode. They debuted at UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro in January, the place Gabriel submitted Mounir Lazzez in 49 seconds. Ismael picked up a second-round knockout, however misplaced his follow-up in July.

Gabriel hopes a win over Giles units him up for Brazil, and if issues go the best way he’s accustomed to, he is perhaps able to make the turnaround with out taking a ton of harm. Bonfim has all 14 of his professional wins by end, together with 11 submissions.

Nonetheless, he mentioned he’s able to go the complete 15 if he has to for the primary time.

“I’ve had that practice of thought in my life earlier than of I knew that the struggle was going to complete early,” Bonfim mentioned. “However now I’ve modified. I need to end, however I can go the space. I can struggle three rounds. I can struggle 5 rounds. I’m going with that mindset. However all the time (to this point), one thing occurred, some alternative, and I simply took benefit of it and I completed (the fights).”

Try Bonfim’s full pre-fight interview within the video above.

For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC 291.