Final · 25 Jul 2026

Axel Sola defeats Ismael Bonfim by Submission

Win Axel Sola 12-1-1

UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Guskov

25 Jul 2026 · Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, AE

Submission · D’Arce choke

Round 1 · 4:44

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Bonfim vs Sola — Lightweight · Ankalaev vs. Guskov

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What happened

The result, the defining moments, and what the verdict means.

Bonfim pressed forward early, and Sola landed elbows that sent him to the canvas.

Sola landed short shots and looked for submissions from the top.

He locked the D’Arce choke for the tap at 4:44 of the first.

Who Called It?

How the analysts' picks held up once the cage door closed.

Analyst picks: DFS By The Numbers Hit; AJ Hit; Michael Chiesa Hit; JakeGerberMMA Hit; HopperoMMA Hit; Bedtime MMA Hit; We Want Picks Hit.

All 7 analyst scorecardsWinner, method and round results7 scored · 7 hits · 0 misses
Predicted byPickActualWinnerMethodRound
Historic market Favourite call, market price 63.5%. Sola · KO/TKO · R3Sola · Sub R1HitMissMiss
Historic market Favourite call, market price 63.5%. Sola · KO/TKOSola · Sub R1HitMissNot called
Historic market Favourite call, market price 63.5%. Sola · to winSola · Sub R1HitNot calledNot called
Historic market Favourite call, market price 63.5%. Sola · to winSola · Sub R1HitNot calledNot called
Historic market Favourite call, market price 63.5%. Sola · to winSola · Sub R1HitNot calledNot called
Historic market Favourite call, market price 63.5%. Sola · to winSola · Sub R1HitNot calledNot called
Historic market Favourite call, market price 63.5%. Sola · to winSola · Sub R1HitNot calledNot called

7 of 7 nailed it.

The experts above are a lens, not credentials we conferred — analyst, fighter or betting desk.

Archive Pre-fight material — kept for transparency.
20-6-0
Record
11-1-1
2-3 last 5
Recent formRecent formWin–loss record over the fighter’s last five bouts, newest first, as carried in their UFC/FightMetric career stats.
3-1-1 last 5
30
Age
28
1.73 m
Height — Sola leads
1.80 m
182 cm
Reach — Sola leads
188 cm
StanceStanceWhich side a fighter leads from — a striking term, not a religious one. Orthodox: right-handed, left foot and hand forward (the common default). Southpaw: the mirror image, right side forward (usually a left-hander). Switch: changes between the two during a fight.
65%
Finish rateFinish %Finish rateThe share of a fighter’s wins that ended inside the distance — by KO/TKO or submission — rather than going to the judges’ scorecards. Higher means more finishes.
64%
9
Wins by KO/TKOKO/TKO wins — Bonfim leads
7
4
Wins by submissionSub wins — Bonfim leads
2
5.51
Sig. strikes landed / minStrikes / min — Bonfim leadsSignificant strikes landed per minuteAverage number of significant strikes a fighter lands for every minute of fight time — a read on striking output and pace. From UFC/FightMetric career stats.
4.50
Sig. strikes absorbed / minAbsorbed / minSignificant strikes absorbed per minuteAverage number of significant strikes a fighter takes for every minute of fight time. Lower is better — it means they get hit less often. From UFC/FightMetric career stats.
Striking defenseStrike def.Striking defenseThe percentage of opponents’ significant strikes that do not land — strikes slipped, blocked or evaded. Higher is better. Not the same as striking accuracy, which counts your own strikes that land. From UFC/FightMetric.
Takedown defenseTD def.Takedown defenseThe percentage of opponents’ takedown attempts that are stuffed. Higher means harder to put on the mat. From UFC/FightMetric.
Avg. fight timeAvg. timeAverage fight timeThe mean length of the fighter’s bouts (minutes:seconds) — a rough read on whether they tend to finish early or go the distance. From UFC/FightMetric.
Brazil
Nationality
France

Career stats per UFC.com; recent form is each fighter's last five bouts. Numbers reflect records coming into fight night. Bars compare each stat on a fixed scale; the “Edge” marker flags the leading corner where the gap is meaningful. The snapshot plots five career rates — output, striking defense, durability (strikes absorbed, inverted), takedown defense and finish rate — each normalised on its own scale.

Pre-fight analysis — how we saw it going in

Case for Bonfim

Bonfim is the more accomplished striker trying to stop a slide. 'Marreta' is a twenty-fight winner with crisp boxing and nine knockouts, but he has dropped three of his last five and badly needs a bounce-back. The pedigree still says he is the sharper technical striker in the matchup when he is on.

Case for Sola

Sola is the karate stylist with awkward angles and his own point to prove. The Frenchman is 11-1-1 and stopped Rhys McKee in the UFC before a decision loss to Mason Jones, and his kicking range and unorthodox footwork are a hard puzzle for a pressure boxer. If he keeps the fight at distance, he can out-point Bonfim.

What We Were Watching For

  • Boxing vs karate: Bonfim's pocket boxing against Sola's range kicking — who imposes their distance?
  • Bonfim's slide: three losses in his last five — is the chin and the timing still reliable under fire?
  • Sola's footwork: can he stay on the outside and avoid the exchanges where Bonfim's hands are sharpest?
  • Stakes: both men are on the wrong side of .500 in their last five — the winner buys real breathing room, the loser slides toward must-win territory.

Fighters

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