‘From Hell’ Burns Bonfim For Weight Miss

Vinc Pichel has taken to social media to blast opponent, Ismael Bonfim, after the Brazilian fighter missed weight by 3.5 pounds for their previously-scheduled lightweight bout this weekend at UFC Sao Paulo. Bonfim was pulled from the event after his egregious scale fail and it has left Pichel on the outside looking in.

UFC’s return to Sao Paulo has been a long-awaited one, but this weekend’s card isn’t as stacked as some would have liked. The lightweight tilt between Pichel and Bonfim was one of the bright spots to look forward to. Pichel is a hard-nosed veteran who doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty, while Bonfim is a finishing machine who just had his 13-fight win streak snapped this past July by Benoit St. Denis.

Unfortunately, Bonfim wasn’t prepared to hit weight on Friday and it has cost him dearly. Pichel also came in heavy on his first attempt, but his second attempt was successful. That didn’t matter, though, as Bonfim failed miserably and there wasn’t enough time for the promotion to find a replacement fighter for Pichel. “From Hell” could have still accepted to fight, but he didn’t want to give Bonfim any advantage whatsoever.

Following news of the cancelation, Pichel took to social media in an effort to drag Bonfim’s name through the mud and explain his decision to not fight. Check it out below:

“So as you know my fight is cancelled,” Pichel wrote. “My opponent didn’t even try to make weight and I decided to take away his ability to fight and make money for this unprofessionalism which I’m sure he regrets. I am huge on self responsibility and he showed none by his actions and by missing weight by so much so I decided to give him some for his actions. I’m sorry to everyone who was excited to watch me throw down and also happy to ruin parlays against me at the same time. In my 15+ year career, I have never missed weight. If you are upset about my decision, I’m sorry but there is no one else to blame but my opponent. You will see me fight again soon!”

UFC Sao Paulo will unfold tomorrow evening (Sat., Nov. 4, 2023) live on ESPN+ from inside Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Brazil. The main event of the evening will feature a heavyweight clash between former UFC title challenger, Derrick Lewis, and surging contender, Jailton Almeida.

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MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Sao Paulo fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+ preliminary card bouts at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN+ main card start time at 9 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Sao Paulo news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive here. For the updated and finalized “Almeida vs. Lewis” fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.