Guilherme “Bomba” Vasconcelos, a former MMA fighter with experience in the UFC and Bellator, has died at 38, with the cause of death currently undisclosed.
Guilherme "Bomba" Vasconcelos, a seasoned MMA fighter with a career spanning 16 fights in both the UFC and Bellator, has sadly passed away at the age of 38. Friends first shared the heartbreaking news on social media. Among them were his longtime jiu-jitsu coaches, Cristiano Lazzarini and Vinicius "Draculino" Magalhaes. The news was later confirmed by sources to MMA Fighting on Tuesday.
The cause of his untimely death remains unknown as of now.
"Bomba" kicked off his MMA journey in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His debut fight saw him secure a victory with a second-round rear-naked choke against veteran Wendell Oliveira. This win set the stage for his entry into TUF Brazil 3 in 2014 after defeating Elizeu Zaleski—both fighters eventually made it to the UFC.
Hailing from Minas Gerais, Vasconcelos went 1-1 on the reality TV show. His lone UFC bout ended in a decision loss to Luke Zachrich in July 2014. Undeterred, he won four of his next five bouts, earning a contract with Bellator.
Outside the octagon, Vasconcelos gained some fame for dating Demi Lovato back in 2017. He wrapped up his MMA career in 2019 with three victories out of six fights in the Bellator cage.
Cristiano Lazzarini paid tribute to "Bomba" with heartfelt words on social media: "Of all the students I had, you were the bravest," he wrote. "Fearless, unbeatable… In moments of chaos, a machine; in trivial moments, a sweet boy." Lazzarini reminisced about their shared journey from blue to black belt and from first to last MMA fights. His message concluded with love and disbelief at his friend’s passing: "Unbelievable. Rest in peace, brother."