Jeremiah Wells was offered a bout with Gabriel Bonfim at UFC Vegas 123 but was unable to get down to the required weight in time. Wells is currently said to weigh around 230 pounds, which ruled out the short-notice opportunity.
Jeremiah Wells reportedly turned down a chance to fight Gabriel Bonfim at UFC Vegas 123 because he could not get down to the required weight in time. The report is not officially confirmed.
Wells is said to be sitting at around 230 pounds, well above the welterweight limit, which made the short-notice offer unworkable. The report does not make clear how firm the offer was or who else may have been approached for the slot.
The fighters
Bonfim, a 29-year-old Brazilian known as "Marretinha," is 19-1-0 and ranked fifth at welterweight. He is coming off the biggest win of his career, a unanimous decision over Belal Muhammad on June 6, 2026, a result that went five rounds. Before that he stopped Randy Brown with a second-round KO/TKO in November 2025 and beat Stephen Thompson by split decision in July 2025. He lands 4.61 significant strikes per minute at 46 percent accuracy and averages 3.6 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Wells, a 39-year-old American from Renzo Gracie Philly, is 14-4-1. His most recent recorded fight was a third-round submission win over Myktybek Orolbai at UFC 330 on August 15, 2026. That followed a unanimous decision over Themba Gorimbo in November 2025, so he has won his last two recorded bouts. He lands 2.21 significant strikes per minute at 44 percent accuracy, with 2.81 takedowns and 1.3 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- The matchup would have paired a ranked, in-form Brazilian against a veteran grappler a decade older. Bonfim is 29 and Wells is 39, a ten-year gap.
- Bonfim holds a reach disadvantage on paper only in one direction: Wells' 74-inch reach is two inches longer than Bonfim's 72, though Bonfim is four inches taller at six-foot-one to Wells' five-foot-nine.
- Bonfim out-strikes Wells by more than two strikes per minute (4.61 to 2.21), while Wells' submission rate of 1.3 attempts per 15 minutes is close to Bonfim's 1.4.
Wells finished his last fight less than three months before this offer surfaced, which makes the weight issue notable. A report that he is around 230 pounds suggests a short turnaround was never realistic for a welterweight fight. Bonfim's next opponent has not been reported.
