Ismael Bonfim cut by UFC after his third weight miss
Gabriel Bonfim’s older brother came in 7.5 pounds heavy, lost to Francisco Prado in the first round and leaves the promotion 2-5.
Ismael “Marreta” Bonfim is no longer on the UFC roster. The Brazilian lightweight was removed after missing weight by 7.5 pounds and losing by first-round TKO to Argentina’s Francisco Prado on Saturday at UFC Vegas 122 in Las Vegas. The release was first reported by MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz and picked up by several outlets on Tuesday.
The miss on the scale
At the official weigh-ins, Bonfim came in at 163.5 pounds for a non-title lightweight bout, where the limit is 156. Prado agreed to keep the fight at a catchweight, and Bonfim forfeited 25 percent of his purse to his opponent.
It was not the first time. It was Bonfim’s third weight miss in the UFC. In 2023, his fight against Vinc Pichel at UFC São Paulo was scrapped after he failed to make the limit. Last year, he also came in heavy before facing Chris Padilla, a fight he lost by knockout.
The fight with Prado
Inside the Octagon, the fight did not last a full round. Prado took the Brazilian down, went to work with ground and pound, and the referee stepped in late in the first round. It was Bonfim’s fourth straight loss.
From a knockout debut to a losing streak
Bonfim earned his UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022 with a unanimous decision win over Nariman Abasov. His debut, in January 2023 at UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro, could hardly have gone better: a second-round flying knee knockout of Terrance McKinney.
After that, his run went up and down. He lost to Benoît Saint-Denis, beat Vinc Pichel by unanimous decision at UFC 301 in May 2024, and then dropped four straight, all by stoppage: Nazim Sadykhov in February 2025, Chris Padilla in November 2025, Axel Sola in July of this year, and now Prado. He leaves the UFC at 2-5 in the promotion and 20-9 overall, according to the UFC’s official website.
On Sunday, a day after the fight, Bonfim posted a message on Instagram saying he had no excuses to make and that his story does not end with this loss.
His brother is on the rise
Ismael’s exit contrasts with the moment his younger brother, Gabriel Bonfim, is having as one of the top names at welterweight. Gabriel headlines UFC Vegas 124 on Nov. 7 against American Sean Brady.
The case reopens the debate over how much the UFC should tolerate from a fighter who keeps missing weight. VF Comunica previewed the Brazilians on that UFC Vegas 122 card in UFC tonight: start time, seven Brazilians and a jiu-jitsu black belt in the main event.
Did the UFC make the right call by cutting Ismael Bonfim after his third weight miss? Tell us in the comments.
