Ismael Bonfim recalls extreme UFC weight cut that went wrong

Brazilian lightweight Ismael Bonfim has opened up about a dangerous weight-cut disaster that preceded his November UFC loss to Chris Padilla, vowing to reform his approach ahead of an upcoming bout at UFC Abu Dhabi.

Bonfim arrived at the weigh-ins visibly depleted, tipping the scales at 161 pounds—five pounds over the non-title lightweight limit of 156. The failed cut left him severely weakened, and he was picked apart by Padilla in a second-round stoppage. Bonfim revealed he had relied almost entirely on dehydration to shed weight, arriving at fight week still needing to lose 22 pounds. On weigh-in day, he stopped his cut when his neck began cramping, a sign of dangerous dehydration.

Now 30 and preparing for a clash with Axel Sola in Abu Dhabi, Bonfim says he has fundamentally changed his weight-management strategy. He acknowledges that moving up a weight class would have ended his career and is committed to staying small for the lightweight division. "We finally got serious," Bonfim said. "Moving up to welterweight would've been crazy. I'm already small for lightweight. Going up to 170 would've been the end of my career. I'm a lightweight, and from now on I'm going to do things the right way. I'm not going to let my weight go above 176 pounds."

With a 20-6 record, Bonfim is looking to reverse a two-fight slump. Sola (fighting out of a loss to Mason Jones in March) is similarly seeking redemption. Properly managed weight could prove the difference in rebounding for both men.