Felipe Bunes’ Hunger Pangs

Felipe Bunes made his long-awaited Ultimate Fighting Championship debut a little more than a year ago and suffered a second-round technical knockout loss to Joshua Van as part of the UFC Fight Night 234 undercard. He has been absent ever since—and for good reason.

“I ended up with a tibia fracture and some torn finger ligaments,” Bunes told Sherdog.com. “I needed surgery, so I had to be idle for some time.”

Now fully recovered, the former Legacy Fighting Alliance titleholder will return to the stage when he takes on Jose Johnson in the featured UFC Fight Night 249 flyweight prelim this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Bunes, 35, undoubtedly wants to make up for lost time. Johnson, meanwhile, enters the Octagon having lost two of his past three bouts. The 6-foot Flint, Michigan, native last suited up at UFC on ESPN 58, where he dropped a three-round unanimous decision to Asu Almabaev on June 15.

“Jose is tall,” Bunes said. “We had a hard time finding a sparring partner of similar height and weight. We studied his game. We saw gaps in his striking game. Of course, given an opportunity for a submission, I’ll go for it. I’m a jiu-jitsu black belt and grappling is my best skill. He tries to keep distance when on the feet but usually fumbles into a grappling situation. Given a chance, I’ll get a finish.”

Activity or lack thereof has become a significant issue for Bunes, who has not fought more than twice in a calendar year since 2015. He views his pairing with Johnson as an opportunity to change the narrative surrounding his career.

“Regardless of how it plays out, I expect to have my hand raised at the end,” Bunes said. “With a win, I plan to renew my contract and keep working my way up in the organization. I’m uninjured and hungry to fight. I hope I can fight three or possibly four times in 2025.”