The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is just one day away from the upcoming competition UFC Vegas 121 mixed martial arts (MMA) event taking place tomorrow night (Saturday, September 26, 2026) Paramount+ from the inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC Vegas 121 features a bantamweight main event between prominent contenders at 135 pounds Raul Rosas Jr. and Raoni’s Barcelosa five-round showdown that could shake things up Top 10 of the division.
Before we dive into the main and co-main event of the 135-pound clash Top 5 Women’s Bantamweight Competitors Norma Dumont and Aline Perezcheck out Andrew Richardson’s X-Factor breakdown of the rest of the UFC Vegas 121 main card by clicking here. Get all the latest “Rosas Jr. vs. Barcelos” odds and betting tips from FanDuel right here. For full live UFC Vegas 121 results and click here here.
135 pounds: Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Raoni’s Barcelos
Raul “Problem Child” Rosas Jr.
Recording: 12-1 | Age: 21 | Betting line: -165
Wins: 2 KO/TKO, 6 SUB, 4 DEC | Losses: 0 KO/TKO, 0 SAT, DEC 1
Height: 5’9″ | Come on: 67” | Position: The switch
Important beats per minute: 1.34 | Striking accuracy: 42%
Shock absorption per minute: 1.24 | Striking defense: 52%
Removal average: 6.10 (54% accuracy) | Removal Protection: 25%
Current ranking: No. 12 | The last fight: Unanimous decision win over Rob Font
Raoni’s Barcelos
Recording: 22-5 | Age: 39 | Betting line: +135
Wins: 8 KO/TKO, 3 SAT, 11 DEC | Losses: 1 KO/TKO, 1 SAT, 3 DEC
Height: 5’7″ | Come on: 67” | Position: Orthodox
Significant blows fell per minute: 4.65 | Striking accuracy: 51%
Shock absorption per minute: 4.24 | Striking defense: 60%
Removal average: 2.51 (31% accuracy) | Removal Protection: 87%
Current ranking: No. 13 | The last fight: Split decision win over Montel Jackson
Raul Rosas Jr. is only 21 years old, but already 12-1 in MMA and 6-1 under the UFC banner. “El Niño Problema” isn’t in the official Meta rankings, but the media has him one spot higher than Raoni’s Barcelos at #12, for whatever that’s worth (hint: not much). Rosas Jr. is a fairly one-dimensional fighter who relies on his wrestling to wear down opponents while chasing submissions, resulting in six knockouts in 12 wins. After watching Gable Steveson get into the realm of shadows last weekend in Los Angeles, I don’t expect Rosas Jr. to experiment with his standup — and why should he? He has comfortably won seven of his eight opponents and needs just three takedowns in this fight to move into No. 3 all-time in the bantamweight record books. That means he’ll be facing a fellow wrestler who is 8th all-time in takedowns and is looking for a couple takedowns of his own.
“I have to be ready for fights on short notice, be ready to take risks and definitely make a big statement this Saturday,” Rosas Jr. said. Full MMA Shipping. “Not just a win, but I have to make a statement. When I achieve everything I want in my career at 25, I’ll just retire from the sport. The goal is to get the belt and then defend it a few times, try to challenge myself, move up a weight class, maybe two, and when I’m done with my goals, I can just run out. I’m 26, 27, 28, but I just say whenever I’m done with my goals, I’m going to retire. out.”
Raoni Barcelos has gone from promising prospect to middleweight and red-hot veteran over the past eight years. He is currently on a five-game winning streak, upsetting 135-pound wonder Payton Talbott, knocking off former champion Cody Garbrandt, among others. Like Rosas Jr., Barcelos relies heavily on offensive grappling and averages 2.5 takedowns per fight (compared to his opponent’s 6.1). There’s no doubt that Barcelos has faced tougher competition throughout his career, facing the likes of Umar and Said Nurmagomedov, as well as veterans like Ricky Simon and Chris Gutierrez. If there’s any criticism to be made, it’s that Barcelos has only finished one fight in the past seven years, which isn’t a great sign for a fighter who’s turning 40 and still outside the top ten.
“It doesn’t scare me,” Barcelos said of his opponent’s youth during the match UFC Vegas 121 Media Day. “I think after the Payton Talbott fight, I got more and more confident in myself, seeing what I can do. Raul is tough and he’s going to keep growing. There’s a lot of other great fighters for him. There’s a lot of other great fights for him, but this is my moment. I really believe that this is my moment and my time. I think creating a story is what I mean to people, it’s a fantastic story. I’ve gained more fans and I’m going to get more fans, it’s really cool to see and continue what I’m doing.
Barcelos is a more experienced, well rounded fighter and I would pick him in a three round fight. But neither fighter has gone five rounds under the UFC banner, and I can’t pick a 39-year-old veteran over a 21-year-old dynamo, especially when both fighters are grappling for the majority of the fight.
Prediction: Rosas Jr. def. Barcelos by unanimous decision
135 pounds: Norma Dumont vs. Ailín Perez
“Immortal” Norma Dumont
Recording: 13-3 | Age: 35 | Betting line: +130
Wins: 0 KO/TKO, 2 SAT, DEC 11 | Losses: 1 KO/TKO, 0 SAT, 2 DEC
Height: 5’7″ | Come on: 67” | Position: Orthodox
Important beats per minute: 3.85 | Striking accuracy: 50%
Shock absorption per minute: 2.33 | Striking defense: 64%
Removal average: 1.43 (57% accuracy) | Removal Protection: 71%
Current ranking: No. 2 | The last fight: Unanimous loss to Joselyne Edwards
Aline “Fiona” Perez
Recording: 13-2 | Age: 31 | Betting line: -155
Wins: 4 KO/TKO, 2 SUB, 7 DEC | Losses: 0 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 0 DEC
Height: 5’5″ | Come on: 66” | Position: The switch
Significant blows fell per minute: 2.88 | Striking accuracy: 56%
Shock absorption per minute: 1.58 | Striking defense: 56%
Removal average: 4.90 (49% accuracy) | Removal Protection: 72%
Current ranking: No. 4 | The last fight: Unanimous decision win over Macy Chiasson
Norma Dumont remains on the losing streak but is still ranked No. 2 at 135 pounds. That’s because she defeated No. 1 contender Joslyne Edwards at UFC Vegas 116 in April. It snapped a six-fight winning streak for the “Immortal” heavyweight, who has now gone 16 wins in his professional MMA career without a single knockout. In fact, the Brazilian has yet to finish a fight by any method in 12 trips to the Octagon, and she hasn’t secured a fight since choking out Erica Leidianny Ribeiro on the regional circuit in 2017. The only thing that matters, at least in the big picture, is wins and losses, and Dumont is 9-3 in the UFC. contestants. He’s a low-output striker with strong offensive wrestling, but he enters this main event as a slight underdog, likely due to age and skill.
“It’s a fight that literally has a personal grudge, a personal issue that the two of us have against each other,” Dumont said. MMA fight. “It’s a fight we’re going to get a lot of. I’m excited, I really want it. I think it’s going to be fun. She’s got mental issues. This girl really has mental issues. She has this little game to try to get people fired up. But to be honest, it’s very insignificant, so it makes absolutely no difference to me. Since she signed the contract, I’m focused on 6. I don’t need to say anything else, I don’t care about her bait or small things play along, not in my personal life or anything, so now that the contract is signed, it’s time for me to do what I need to do, what I want to do without having to do it.
Ailín Perez is ranked lower than Norma Dumont, but is still the odds-on favorite. Probably because Perez is a takedown machine and currently sits at No. 2 in all-time takedowns in the women’s bantamweight division. His jab is serviceable, but it’s really just an excuse for takedowns, and when he’s on, he’s nearly unstoppable. Just ask Ashlee Evans-Smith, who was knocked out 10 times at UFC Vegas 117 in the summer of 2023. A battle between wrestlers usually comes down to which fighter has the better defense. Dumont was knocked out six times in a loss to Macy Chiasson and Ketlen Vieira fought her off before losing to Joselyn Edwards, a weight handled and beaten thoroughly by Perez (who also beat Chiasson). The math of MMA? Maybe, but Dumont has 13 wins and two finishes with zero knockouts, so his path to victory is limited.
“I feel like I’m ready and not only to fight for the belt, but to be a backup,” Perez said Let’s talk about MMA in Spanish. “I’m ready to fill in for Kayla or Amanda if the UFC needs someone in November. Kayla’s coming off neck surgery and Amanda’s older now. If somebody gets hurt or something happens during the weight cut, Ailin Perez is ready. I came for a title shot. I came for it. But if I don’t get it, I’m going to go all in on this fight. I’m not just going to win my name, and I’ve earned it, and whatever happens, I’m ready.
Dumont is older and more limited offensively. I think it’s a one-sided fight.
Prediction: Perez def. Dumont by unanimous decision
Let’s Play: Numbered UFC Event or Fight Night?
The Paramount deal killed PPV, eliminated the need to really promote numbered events, and made billions for the UFC. Dana White regularly said that money makes fighters lazy, but is the opposite happening now with the UFC?
It’s been bad since the ESPN deal, but I’d argue it’s even worse now. Here’s a test: A year ago, would you have guessed correctly what the numbered events or fight nights were in the current lineup of headliners?
Buckley v. Malott
Allen vs. Duncan
Silva vs. Wang
Roses vs Barcelos
Van vs. Pantoja
Silva vs. Slim
Hooker vs. Parnasse
Nurmagomedov vs. Song
Hernandes vs. Rodrigues
Don’t forget to check out the rest of the UFC Vegas 121 main card predictions HERE.
