New Delhi, June 7 -- The scorecards said 50-45. All three of them. But even that clean sweep understated how thoroughly Gabriel Bonfim had solved a problem that had frustrated the welterweight division for years.

another in a string of exits for the old guard of the 170-pound division.

Muhammad entered UFC Fight Night 278, also known as UFC Vegas 118, on a two-fight losing streak - the first back-to-back losses of his career - and needing a performance that would remind the division he remained a legitimate championship threat. What he got instead was a systematic lesson in cage pressure from a fighter who is not yet finished arriving.

Bonfim's approach was architectural. His pressure up the middle prevented Muhammad from establishing ...