UFC Vegas 118: On a high, Marretinha delivers the biggest fight of his career against a former champion to break into the welterweight top 5.

Marretinha celebrates his UFC victory. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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MMA prospect, Gabriel Marretinha He has a golden opportunity to take his career to the next level. In the main fight of ufc vegas 118, an event that takes place this Saturday (6), the Brazilian, who is experiencing an excellent professional moment, faces Belal Muhammad |, former welterweight champion (up to 77,1 kg). Aware of the importance of the commitment, the athlete does not hide his excitement.

It's worth highlighting that this is the biggest fight of Marretinha's MMA career. In fact, there couldn't be a better time for the Brazilian to face Belal. Currently, the 28-year-old is riding a four-fight winning streak and has thus solidified his place in the top 15 of the welterweight division, in 11th position. On the other hand, the former champion arrives at the fight under scrutiny. Despite being fifth in the rankings, the 37-year-old veteran, with two consecutive losses, is experiencing his worst phase in the sport.

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Besides his impressive UFC form and youth factor, Marretinha is bigger, stronger, and faster than Belal. Possessing these attributes, the Brazilian exudes confidence that this Saturday he will leave behind his "promising" status and finally be seen as a threat to the top fighters in the weight class. So much so that the athlete, known for his jiu-jitsu skills, claims he can submit the former champion or even knock him out. The veteran, even in a slump, guaranteed he will bounce back at the event and that his opponent will regret losing the fight.

To win in ufc vegas 118Marretinha will have a better chance if he can keep the fight standing. It's true that Belal has been showing improvement in his striking, but the Brazilian possesses greater agility, explosiveness, and knockout power. On the ground, the athlete is more talented, but the veteran is no novice and defends well. Furthermore, being a wrestling specialist, the expectation is that the former champion, needing to win at all costs, will use takedowns extensively to control and wear down Gabriel. Therefore, this important fight has all the makings of a tense encounter.

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UFC Vegas 118 technical details

Date: May 6, 2026

Time: From 18pm (Brasília time)

Location: Meta Apex, Las Vegas, United States

How to watch: SUPER FIGHTS LIVE in real time, Paramount+ (entire card) on TV and internet.

MAIN CARD (21pm Brasília time)

Welterweight (up to 77,1 kg): Belal Muhammad | x Gabriel Marretinha

Average weight (up to 83,9 kg): Brendan allen x Edmen shahbazyan

Lightweight (up to 70,3 kg): Farès Ziam x Tom nolan

Bantam weight (up to 61,2 kg): Bryce mitchell x Santiago luna

Light heavyweight (up to 93 kg): Iwo Baraniewski x Junior Tafa

PRELIMINARY CARD (18pm Brasília time)

Combined weight (58,9 kg): Matt schnell x Alessandro Nono

Bantam weight (up to 61,2 kg): Marcus McGhee x John Yannis

Flyweight (up to 57 kg): Bruno Bulldog Edgar Cháirez

Bantam weight (up to 61,2 kg): Priscila Pedrita x Chelsea Chandler

Featherweight (up to 65,8 kg): Jordan Leavitt x Joanderson Tubarão

Flyweight (up to 57 kg): Jeisla Chaves x Yuneisy Duben

Straw weight (up to 52,2 kg): Ketlen Hot x Ariane Sorriso