Gabriel Bonfim made a closely divided decision to Stephen Thompson in the UFC Nashville co-main event, breaking into the Welterweight rankings.
After a relatively late start, seeing the two Fighters trade calf kicks, Bonfim finally decided to take part in the first takedown of the fight near the midpoint of the opening round.
He managed to defeat Thompson temporarily, but “Wonderboy” quickly pops out and quickly separates, bringing an incredibly close end to the first five minutes.
Bonfim didn’t wait nearly long for Takedown and fired near Stanza’s 50-second mark, but things started in the second, as well. Thompson went back and continued fighting, urging Bonfim to return to the calf kick. At one point, “Wonderboy” checked the leg kick, which opened his shin and busted.
Undeterred Thompson caught Bonfim neatly and unleashed the high kick he had on his shaking legs of the Brazilian. Thompson flocked for kill shots, but Bonfim was shot for a desperate takedown, holding onto his dear life until the second round came to an end.
The third was another close event, and the biggest moment came through another high kick from Thompson, which Bonfim had eaten easily.
However, what seemed to make a difference in the scorecard was Bonfim’s grappling game and control in the third clinch.
Official Results:Gabriel Bonfim def. Stephen Thompson (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) by split decision.