With UFC Sao Paulo in the books, four fighters have come away from the promotion’s latest trip to Brazil $50,000 richer.
Among them, Nicolas Dalby and Gabriel Bonfim, whose welterweight co-main event took home Fight of the Night honors.
That contest started out hot, with Bonfim, the local hero, taking it to the Danish fighter — only to see Dalby weather the storm. Then, entering the second round for the first time in two years, Bonfim began to slow, seemingly unable to contend with the fact that having thrown everything and the kitchen sink, Nicolas Dalby was still in front of him.
A short time later, it was Dalby putting the Brazilian away for the TKO finish, his fourth straight win, and third of 2023.
The loss was the first of Gabriel Bonfim’s career.
Performance of the Night bonuses at UFC Sao Paulo went to a pair of thunderous knockouts by Brazilian athletes. On the preliminary card, Vitor Petrino put away Modestas Bukauskas with a crushing punch just over a minute into the second round of their light heavyweight scrap.
Then, in a fight promoted to the main card at the 11th hour, Elves Brener put away fellow Brazilian and promotional newcomer Kaynan Kruschewsky, leaving the debuting short-notice replacement face-down on the octagon floor.
