A lightweight showdown between Ismael Bonfim and Axel Sola is set for a UFC event in Abu Dhabi on July 25.
The matchup joins a growing lineup for the Abu Dhabi card, which also features a heavyweight bout between Valter Walker and Thomas Petersen. The UFC has not yet officially announced the full Fight Night card or its headlining bout.
Bonfim heads into July 25 looking to rebound after consecutive losses to Nazim Sadykhov and Chris Padilla in 2025, a stretch that also included a five-pound weight miss for his most recent fight. He previously earned his UFC contract with a decision win over Nariman Abbasov on Dana White’s Contender Series and made a statement in his UFC debut with a flying knee knockout of Terrance McKinney. Since a 2023 loss to Benoit Saint-Denis, Bonfim has won one of three fights.
Sola, who joined the UFC in 2025, made an immediate impact by finishing Rhys McKee in his promotional debut before dropping a decision to Mason Jones in 2026.
In the heavyweight division, Walker enters Abu Dhabi riding a four-fight streak of first-round heel hook submissions, while Petersen is coming off a majority decision win over Guilherme Pat after a knockout loss to Vitor Petrino.
