Gabriel Bonfim and Randy Brown headline Fight Night action this weekend at the UFC Apex in a five-round contest in the 170-pound division.
It’s the first UFC main event for both fighters who’ll be looking to rise up the welterweight rankings.
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Welterweights Gabriel Bonfim and Randy Brown are featured in the main event at the UFC Apex. Watch UFC Fight Night action Saturday, Nov. 8, on Sportsnet 360 and Sportsnet+ with coverage beginning at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT.
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Recent winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 33, Joseph Morales, who will aim to continue his hot streak against 15-fight UFC veteran Matt Schnell in the co-main event.
The main card also features a fan-friendly middleweight bout between rising star Marco Tulio and Christian Leroy Duncan who’s riding high off a spinning elbow knockout earlier this year.
Ismael Bonfim, the older brother of the aforementioned Gabriel, missed weight by five pounds on Friday ahead of his scheduled lightweight contest against Chris Padilla. Bonfim will be fined 25 per cent of his purse for the significant weight miss but the bout is expected to proceed.
There were also a couple short-notice changes to the fight card this week. A scheduled bantamweight bout between Adrian Yanez and Cristian Quinonez was cancelled due to visa issues with Quinonez.
Robert Valentin withdrew from his middleweight bout with Jackson McVey due to injury. McVey will instead face Zachary Reese in a 195-pound catchweight bout.
Below is the projected bout order (subject to change) plus full predictions for UFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs. Brown…
— Gabriel Bonfim vs. Randy Brown
— Matt Schnell vs. Joseph Morales
— Muslim Salikhov vs. Uros Medic
— Chris Padilla vs. Ismael Bonfim
— Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Marco Tulio
— Hyder Amil vs. Jamall Emmers
— Ricky Simon vs. Raoni Barcelos
— Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Jacqueline Cavalcanti
— Josh Hokit vs. Max Gimenis
— Tecia Pennington vs. Denise Gomes
— Miles Johns vs. Daniel Marcos
— Jackson McVey vs. Robert Valentin
Ahead of each UFC event in 2025, UFC reporter Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter), producer Dan Fernandes (@DanFernandes__) and writer/editor Mike Johnston (@MikeyJ_MMA) will peruse the odds and make four betting predictions using fantasy dollars: one best bet, one favourite, one underdog and one dart throw wager. REMINDER: Sportsnet is committed to promoting and educating audiences about the importance of betting responsibly. Sources for responsible gambling can be found HERE.
Cage Lock: Pennington vs. Gomes goes the distance -303
Favourite: Hyder Amil -140
Underdog: Miles Johns +165
Dart Throw: Bueno Silva wins by decision +450
I expect Pennington and Gomes to be a tactical fight and while Gomes has shown to be a good finisher, Pennington has not been finished in 22 fights. … While Emmers has the tools to beat Amil, I think he will have trouble withstanding his pressure over three rounds. … Johns is always a live underdog and I don’t see where Marcos has a clear advantage over him. … Bueno Silva and Cavalcante should be a closely contested fight and if it goes the distance, I could certainly see her getting the nod.
Cage Lock: Josh Hokit -340
Favourite: Jacqueline Cavalcanti -250
Underdog: Christian Leroy Duncan +165
Dart Throw: Josh Hokit by decision +550
Josh Hokit was very impressive in his DWCS debut where he easily secured a UFC contract with his relentless pursuit of a takedown and seemingly unlimited gas tank. I expect Hokit, a former two-time All-America wrestler at Fresno State, to wear on his opponent through ground control and eventually find a finish. But -340 for an outright win is as safe a play as you will find on this card. That being said, his opponent Max Gimenis is very comfortable on the ground for a heavyweight. Hokit will likely dictate the pace in this one for three rounds but Gimenis is well rounded enough to possibly drag this to a decision before taking a loss on scorecards. … Mayra Bueno Silva will struggle to close the distance on the surging Jacqueline Cavalcanti. This fight will be won and lost based on this. Cavalcanti will be the busier of the two fighters especially as the bout wears on and likely gets her hand raised on scorecards to remain perfect in the UFC. … Christian Leroy Duncan has scary punching power but can also grind out victories. If CLD can avoid getting caught by Marco Tulio, he has two realistic paths to victory in this one and a decent shot at upsetting the odds here.
Cage Lock: Joseph Morales -303
Favourite: Ricky Simon -169
Underdog: Randy Brown +150
Dart Throw: Muslim Salikhov by KO/TKO/DQ in Round 2 +750
I wasn’t impressed by Gabriel Bonfim’s recent close and controversial win over Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and I’m a big believer in Randy Brown so taking the Jamaican underdog in the main event is a no-brainer for me. Unless Bonfim can land takedowns and/or put on a grappling clinic, Brown will eventually outclass and out-damage the Brazilian. … Raoni Barcelos’s current win streak is severely under appreciated but I think it comes to an end this weekend courtesy of Simon. … Muslim Salikhov should be the favourite here in my eyes and a knockout is his most likely path to victory. A Round 1 finish is way more likely but doesn’t qualify as a dart throw so I’ll say this one makes it to the second before Salikhov finds his spot.
Three legs: Pennington vs. Gomes goes distance + Hokit + Morales
Parlay odds: +129 (to win: $129)
2025 STANDINGS AFTER 37 EVENTS
2025 winnings: +$292.12 (on $100 bets)
AARON’S RECORDS/TOTALS (77-68-3, +23.69 units)
Cage Lock: 29-6-2 (-$2.21)
Favourite: 21-16 (-$433.51)
Underdog: 18-18-1 (+$1,155.24)
Dart throw: 9-28 (+$1,650)
DAN’S RECORDS/TOTALS (77-66-5, -6.79 units)
Cage Lock: 32-5 (+$130.24)
Favourite: 23-13-1 (-$270.01)
Underdog: 19-17-1 (+$750.24)
Dart throw: 3-31-3 (-$1,290)
MIKE’S RECORDS/TOTALS (59-83-6, -31.55 units)
Cage Lock: 25-11-1 (-$289.87)
Favourite: 19-18 (-$470.70)
Underdog: 14-21-2 (+$440)
Dart throw: 1-33-3 (-$2,835)
Cage Lock: The pick deemed to be the wager most likely to win regardless of what the odds look like. The Cage Locks parlay will combine Aaron’s, Dan’s and Mike’s respective best bet for each event.
Favourite: A fighter with winning odds shorter than -300 but not longer than -110. On chalkier cards with a dearth of available moneyline favourites that meet those criteria, prop bets are allowed to be selected.
Underdog: Any fighter with longer odds than their opponent’s.
Dart Throw: Any prop bet or moneyline wager with odds of +400 or longer.
(Betting odds above are via BetMGM, submitted at various times throughout week, and subject to change prior to the fights)
