Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Barcelos. The event, also known as UFC Fight Night 289 or UFC Vegas 121, is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. Both fighters hit their marks on the scale, confirming their readiness for the main event clash.
Rosas Jr. Enters Main Event with Momentum
Raul Rosas Jr., at 21 years old, steps into his first UFC main event with a significant amount of momentum. He holds a UFC record of six wins and one loss across seven UFC fights. Before his most recent victory, Rosas Jr. was on a four-fight UFC win streak, which he extended to five with a unanimous decision win over Rob Font in March 2026 at UFC 326: Holloway vs. Oliveira 2. He is currently ranked as the number twelve contender in the UFC bantamweight division.
Rosas Jr. has demonstrated a versatile skill set in the octagon. His offensive grappling is notable, with an average of 2.3 takedowns per fight at a sixty-three percent accuracy rate. His recent performances include a unanimous decision victory over Vince Morales in March 2025 and another unanimous decision win against Aoriqileng in September 2024. Prior to those, he secured a submission win via rear-naked choke against Ricky Turcios in June 2024 and a first-round knockout victory over Terrence Mitchell in September 2023.
Barcelos Brings Veteran Experience
Facing Rosas Jr. is the seasoned veteran Raoni Barcelos, who will also be headlining a UFC event for the first time in his career. Barcelos, 38 years old at his last fight, boasts an impressive UFC record of eleven wins and four losses over fifteen UFC fights. Like his opponent, Barcelos is also riding a five-fight UFC win streak. His most recent triumph came in April 2026, where he defeated Montel Jackson by split decision at UFC Fight Night: Sterling vs. Zalal. Before that, he had accumulated four consecutive wins.
Barcelos is ranked number thirteen in the UFC bantamweight division, just one spot below Rosas Jr. His recent run of victories includes a unanimous decision over Ricky Simon in November 2025, a unanimous decision win against Cody Garbrandt in June 2025, and another unanimous decision victory over Payton Talbott in January 2025. He also secured a submission win via rear-naked choke against Cristian Quinonez in February 2024. Barcelos is known for his strong takedown defense, successfully defending eighty-four percent of takedown attempts against him.
A Crucial Bantamweight Showdown
The main event between Rosas Jr. and Barcelos is a pivotal matchup in the bantamweight division, featuring two fighters on identical five-fight win streaks. With Rosas Jr.
By the numbers
| Fighter | UFC record | Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Raul Rosas | 6-1-0 | Bantamweight #12 |
| Raoni Barcelos | 11-4-0 | Bantamweight #13 |
UFC records count UFC fights only. Records and rankings from UFC Stats and ufc.com.
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