Preview: UFC on ESPN 59 ‘Namajunas vs. Cortez’

Welterweights

Gabriel Bonfim (15-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Ange Loosa (10-3, 2-1 UFC)

ODDS: Bonfim (-340), Loosa (+270)

Bonfim’s loss to Nicolas Dalby in November was a disappointing result for the Brazilian, so it will be interesting to see how “Marretinha” rebounds and adjusts going forward. Bonfim has mostly run through his professional opposition, rarely even making it out of the first round, but he did so in a way that looked sustainable up to a fairly high level. He showed a solid understanding of when to pick his spots and hunt for the knockout on the feet, and his combination of size and pressure often lured opponents into a sneakily vicious grappling game. Dalby, a seemingly indestructible veteran, figured to be Bonfim’s toughest test to date, but the Brazilian was able to pour on offense in the first round. When things turned against him, they turned sharply, as Dalby found Bonfim’s breaking point late in the second round and hit the accelerator to score the finish. Loosa makes for an interesting next test, as he has all the physical tools to give Bonfim another tough fight but is still attempting to find his own comfort against high-level competition. Loosa’s loss on the Contender Series to Jack Della Maddalena in 2021 has aged well, enough so that “The Last Ninja” got the UFC call within a year, after which he's put together a solid campaign. At first, Loosa was physically stout but overly cautious as he attempted to put together a technically sound game, but a September win over Rhys McKee was a much more aggressive and complete victory, even if he did have to survive some late trouble to hang on for the decision. That made his March showing against Bryan Battle a bit disappointing, as it suggested Loosa might still have to go through a few more growing pains. Battle’s combination of size and pressure took Loosa out of his game before the fight ended in a no contest thanks to an eye poke. Bonfim should find a similar amount of success early on, though things could go could go any number of ways from there. Loosa has never been finished, while Bonfim has never been to a decision. It’s unclear if Bonfim will tire quite as badly against an opponent like Loosa, who doesn’t force the issue nearly as much as Dalby does. Given that Bonfim seems guaranteed to at least find some success, he gets the nod. The pick is Bonfim via first-round submission.

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Namajunas vs. Cortez
Ponzinibbio vs. Salikhov
Dober vs. Silva
Bonfim vs. Loosa
Rodriguez vs. Erosa
Alhassan vs. Brundage
The Prelims