Remembering Guilherme “Bomba” Vasconcelos’s MMA Career
Guilherme “Bomba” Vasconcelos, a veteran of UFC and Bellator, died in October 2024 at age thirty-eight. His professional career included The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3, one UFC appearance and six bouts under the Bellator banner.
A professional career beginning in Brazil
Vasconcelos began competing professionally in 2012. His early record included a submission victory over Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos at Jungle Fight 54 on June 29, 2013.
He finished that contest with a rear-naked choke in the second round. The result preceded his participation in The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3, where he faced Ricardo Abreu during the televised competition.
UFC and Bellator appearances followed
Vasconcelos made his only UFC appearance against Luke Zachrich at UFC 175 on July 5, 2014. Zachrich won the middleweight bout by unanimous decision after three rounds.
Between 2016 and 2019, Vasconcelos compiled three wins and three defeats in Bellator. His final professional contest was a unanimous-decision loss to Derek Anderson at Bellator 229 on October 4, 2019.
Tributes followed the news of his death
Family members first shared news of his passing, and members of the MMA community subsequently paid tribute. Longtime coach Cristiano Lazzarini remembered both his courage in competition and his warmth away from it.
In February 2025, MMA Fighting reported, citing a law-enforcement case report obtained by TMZ, that his death had been ruled suicide. Vasconcelos’s completed professional record stood at ten wins and six defeats across a career spanning Brazilian events and two major international promotions.
Sources
- Sherdog: family announcement, coach’s tribute and completed career record
- Sherdog: dos Santos victory and dated fight history
- UFC: July 2014 Zachrich appearance
- MMA Fighting: attributed February 2025 report on the death ruling
