Raoni’s Barcelos vs. Raul Rosas Jr.. was caged earlier tonight (Saturday, September 26, 2026) in a bantamweight bout at Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC Vegas 121. In the scariest finish of the year, Rosas Jr. stopped Barcelos in the fifth round.
The two wrestlers didn’t wait long to start trading. Rosas Jr. was quick with his jabs while Barcelos worked to line up his right hand. In a wild exchange, Barcelos appeared to be hurt by a hit… or maybe slipped? Either way, he used the takedown to calm Rosas Jr. down for a moment. Rosas Jr.’s left hand consistently found the mark, landing several times on the chin in a short period of time.
Barcelos landed a nice combination in a straight shot. Rosas Jr. threw a ton of punches off his back and quickly stood up in response. Barcelos seems to be back on his feet, landing a couple of combinations and a right hand to the body.
Barcelos’ eye was quite swollen after the chaotic first frame.
Barcelos’ jab landed well early in the second, though Rosas Jr. responded well with a calf kick. The Brazilian continued to find success, attacking the body with a right hand that helped set up his combinations. Rosas Jr.’s left hand hit the target, a much faster shot than his opponent could throw. Barcelos moved his head well, which made the center of the Octagon a wild exchange. Barcelos also landed several takedowns, though he struggled to put down Rosas Jr. Despite the good work of his opponent, Rosas Jr. continued to land a lot of punches and landed hard several times.
After ten crazy minutes, there was still someone fighting!
Barcelos continued to work well with his feet in the third round, taking Rosas Jr. stabs and body blows. He landed a nice takedown, but Rosas Jr. reversed himself into top position. He also took advantage, landing some solid roundhouse kicks before the Brazilian got back to his feet. In the standing position, Barcelos’ bodywork really started to come together. This set up his upper hand, which bloodied Rosas Jr.’s face.
Barcelos landed another insanely slick kick before the bell. Heading into the championships, momentum was in his corner.
Barcelos chased forward in the fourth, controlling the middle of the cage. Rosas Jr. moved a lot, but his output was lower and his shots were slower. Barcelos hits him with a right and scores another short takedown. This time he was able to maintain control and keep Rosas Jr. on the bottom for a while. He got on his back and threatened the choke. Rosas Jr. showed his heart in surviving, but his face was a bloody mask after a bad fourth round.
Raul Rosas Jr. opened the fifth round with an energetic swing and several jumping knee attempts. Barcelos countered with a short takedown, then they got back to their feet, trading punches. Rosas Jr. turned the tables with a takedown of his own … and the fight was suddenly over?!? As I understand it, Rosas Jr.’s head hit his jaw during the trip down.
However, this is only a guess. Whatever shot Raoni knocked Barcelos out was a phantom strike and left the Brazilian in a world of hurt. The broadcast did not show what was happening, but it was clear that Barcelos was down for a long time. He was carried off on a stretcher and left the Octagon in gruesome fashion. I have been in this sport for almost 20 years and have never seen anything like this.
I hope Raoni Barcelos is ok.