Bonfim Gets Axel Sola in Abu Dhabi on July 25
Ismael Bonfim will face Axel Sola in abu dhabi on July 25, adding a lightweight bout to UFC’s upcoming event. Bonfim enters with pressure on his record after two straight losses and a missed-weight issue in his most recent appearance.
Bonfim-Sola Joins Abu Dhabi Card
The booking gives Bonfim a chance to reset after a rough run that has left him with only one win in his last three fights since his 2023 loss to Benoit Saint-Denis. He has dropped back-to-back bouts to Nazim Sadykhov and Chris Padilla in 2025, a stretch that makes this matchup one of the clearer measuring sticks on the card.
Sola arrives with his own UFC momentum. He joined the promotion in 2025 after a successful amateur career and a dominant run as an Ares FC champion, then finished Rhys McKee in his debut before losing a decision to Mason Jones in 2026.
Bonfim’s Recent Slide
Bonfim’s weight miss by five pounds in his most recent appearance adds another layer to the booking. He remains a fighter with proven finishing ability — he earned his UFC contract with a decision over Nariman Abbasov at Dana White’s Contender Series and knocked out Terrance McKinney with a flying knee in his debut — but the results since then have not matched that start.
The numbers tell the story plainly: Bonfim is 20-6, and his recent run has been uneven enough that this July date carries more weight than a normal mid-card assignment. A win over Sola would stop the skid and give him a cleaner launch point for the rest of 2026.
UFC Abu Dhabi Adds Walker
Abu Dhabi’s card also includes a heavyweight matchup between Valter Walker and former LFA champion Thomas Petersen. Walker is ranked in the top 15 and has won four consecutive heel hook tapouts, all in the first round, while Petersen bounced back from a knockout loss to Vitor Petrino with a majority decision over Guilherme Pat.
The UFC has not yet officially announced the Fight Night card or its headlining attraction, so Bonfim-Sola sits inside a still-forming event. For now, the booking gives the July 25 show another confirmed lightweight bout with two fighters trying to move in the right direction at the same time.
