Prediction: Rafael Estevam inside the distance
Rafael Estevam is a relentless dog. Pressure, pace, grind—he doesn’t just fight you, he drowns you. From the moment the cage door shuts, he’s in your face, forcing reactions, making you work defensively, and never giving you a chance to breathe. And when you pair that with a legit wrestling advantage? That’s when it gets ugly.
Bunes is slick in moments. He’s got those fast-twitch strikes, decent length, and his jiu-jitsu is well-respected. But all that starts to fade when you can’t set your feet. That’s what Estevam is gonna take away from him—the ability to plant and throw. Bunes wants to be the guy who gets his reads, builds his rhythm, then picks his shots. That’s out the window here.
Estevam will walk him down from round one. If Bunes tries to keep it standing, he’ll get crowded. If he tries to grapple, he’ll get ragdolled. And once Bunes starts working off the back foot, having to stuff takedown after takedown, scramble after scramble—that gas tank’s gonna get taxed fast. This is the kind of grind that doesn’t just break you physically, it breaks your fight IQ. You start reacting instead of thinking, and that’s when finishes happen.
Don’t be shocked if Estevam pours it on late. If this gets into the second or third round, and Bunes is already drained from wrestling defense and circling away from pressure, Rafael might find a TKO or even a sub—especially if Bunes shoots a panic takedown or leaves his neck out during a scramble.