\n<\/p>\n
\tMEXICO CITY, MEXICO – MARCH 29: Raul Rosas Jr. warms up prior to his fight during the UFC Fight Night event at CDMX Arena on March 29, 2025 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Mike Roach\/Zuffa LLC)\t<\/p>\n
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is just one day away from the upcoming UFC Vegas 121 mixed martial arts (MMA) event, which is set to go down tomorrow night (Sat., Sept. 26, 2026) on Paramount+ from inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC Vegas 121<\/strong> features a bantamweight main event between 135-pound standouts Raul Rosas Jr.<\/strong> and Raoni Barcelos<\/strong>, a five-round showdown that could shake up the division Top 10.<\/p>\n Before we dive into the main and co-main event, which includes the 185-pound collision between unranked middleweight bruisers Rodolfo Vieira<\/strong> and Robert Bryczek<\/strong>, check out Andrew Richardson\u2019s \u201cX-Factor\u201d breakdown for the rest of the UFC Vegas 121 main card by clicking here. Get all the latest \u201cRosas Jr. vs. Barcelos\u201d odds and betting props courtesy of FanDuel right here. For complete UFC Vegas 121 live results and play-by-play click here.<\/p>\n Raul \u201cEl Ni\u00f1o Problema\u201d Rosas Jr.<\/strong> Raoni Barcelos<\/strong> Raul Rosas Jr. is just 21 years old but already 12-1 in MMA and 6-1 under the UFC banner. \u201cEl Ni\u00f1o Problema\u201d is not ranked in the official Meta Rankings but the media has him ranked one spot above Raoni Barcelos at No. 12, for whatever that\u2019s worth (hint: not much). Rosas Jr. is fairly-one dimensional fighter, relying on his wrestling to neutralize his opponents while hunting for the submission, leading to six taps in 12 wins. After watching Gable Steveson get knocked into the shadow realm last weekend in Los Angeles, I don\u2019t expect Rosas Jr. to start experimenting with his standup \u2014 and why should he? He\u2019s comfortably outwrestled seven of his eight opponents and needs just three takedowns in this fight to move into No. 3 all-time in the bantamweight record book. That said, he\u2019s up against a fellow wrestler ranked No. 8 all-time in takedowns who will be looking for a couple of takedowns of his own.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got to be ready for short notice fights, be willing to take risks, and this Saturday, make a big statement for sure,\u201d Rosas Jr. told Full Send MMA. \u201cNot just a win, but I\u2019ve got to make a statement. If by 25 I accomplish everything that I want to accomplish in my career, I\u2019m just going to step back from the sport. The goal is to get the belt and then defend it a couple of times, try to challenge myself, go up a weight class, maybe two, and after I\u2019m done, like, I run out of goals, that\u2019s when I\u2019m just gonna quit. It could be 26, 27, 28, but I\u2019m just saying whenever I\u2019m done with my goals, that\u2019s when I\u2019m gonna step out of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n Raoni Barcelos went from promising prospect, to middling bantamweight, to red-hot veteran over the last eight years. He\u2019s currently the winner of five straight, upsetting bantamweight wunderkind Payton Talbott and turning away former champion Cody Garbrandt, among others. Like Rosas Jr., Barcelos relies heavily on offensive wresting and averages 2.5 takedowns per fight (compared to 6.1 for his opponent). There\u2019s no question Barcelos has faced tougher competition throughout his career, going head-to-head against the likes of Umar and Said Nurmagomedov, as well as grizzled veterans like Ricky Simon and Chris Gutierrez. If there\u2019s a critique to be made, it\u2019s that Barcelos has only finished one fight over the last seven years, not a great sign for a fighter who is pushing 40 years old and still ranked outside the Top 10.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn’t scare me,\u201d Barcelos said about his opponent\u2019s youth during the UFC Vegas 121 media day. \u201cI think after the Payton Talbott fight, I just became more and more confident in myself, seeing what I could do. Raul is tough and he’s going to keep growing. There are a lot of other great fighters for him to fight. There are a lot of other great fights for him but this is my moment. I really believe this is my moment and my time. I think building a story is what brings you fans. I really have a story, and I think people are noticing that. I think I’ve been gaining more fans, and I’m going to gain even more fans. It’s really cool to see that and just keep going with what I’m doing.\u201d<\/p>\n Barcelos is the more experience, well-rounded fighter and I would pick him in a three-round fight. But neither combatant has gone five rounds under the UFC banner and I can\u2019t pick a 39-year-old veteran over a 21-year-old dynamo, especially when both fighters are going to be wrestling for the majority of the fight.<\/p>\n Rodolfo \u201cThe Black Belt Hunter\u201d Vieira<\/strong> Robert Bryczek<\/strong> Earlier I mentioned the old guard at 155 pounds and well, you don\u2019t get much older than Diego Ferreira, who\u2019s halfway <\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget to check out the rest of the UFC Vegas 121 main card predictions RIGHT HERE.<\/p>\n135 lbs.: Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Raoni Barcelos<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Record<\/strong>: 12-1 | Age<\/strong>: 21 | Betting line<\/strong>: -165
Wins<\/strong>: 2 KO\/TKO, 6 SUB, 4 DEC | Losses<\/strong>: 0 KO\/TKO, 0 SUB, 1 DEC
Height<\/strong>: 5\u20199\u201d | Reach<\/strong>: 67\u201d | Stance<\/strong>: Switch
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute:<\/strong> 1.34 | Striking accuracy<\/strong>: 42%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute<\/strong>: 1.24 | Striking Defense<\/strong>: 52%
Takedown Average<\/strong>: 6.10 (54% accuracy) | Takedown Defense:<\/strong> 25%
Current Ranking<\/strong>: No. 12 | Last fight<\/strong>: Unanimous decision win over Rob Font<\/p>\n
Record<\/strong>: 22-5 | Age<\/strong>: 39 | Betting line<\/strong>: +135
Wins<\/strong>: 8 KO\/TKO, 3 SUB, 11 DEC | Losses<\/strong>: 1 KO\/TKO, 1 SUB, 3 DEC
Height<\/strong>: 5\u20197\u201c | Reach<\/strong>: 67\u201d | Stance<\/strong>: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute<\/strong>: 4.65 | Striking accuracy<\/strong>: 51%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute<\/strong>: 4.24 | Striking Defense<\/strong>: 60%
Takedown Average<\/strong>: 2.51 (31% accuracy) | Takedown Defense:<\/strong> 87%
Current Ranking<\/strong>: No. 13 | Last fight<\/strong>: Split decision win over Montel Jackson<\/p>\nPrediction: Rosas Jr. def. Barcelos by unanimous decision<\/em><\/h4>\n
185 lbs.: <\/strong>Rodolfo Vieira vs. Robert Bryczek<\/h3>\n
Record<\/strong>: 11-5 | Age<\/strong>: 36 | Betting line<\/strong>: -165
Wins<\/strong>: 1 KO\/TKO, 9 SUB, 1 DEC | Losses<\/strong>: 1 KO\/TKO, 1 SUB, 3 DEC
Height<\/strong>: 6\u20190\u201c | Reach<\/strong>: 73\u201d | Stance<\/strong>: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute:<\/strong> 3.43 | Striking accuracy<\/strong>: 54%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute<\/strong>: 4.28 | Striking Defense<\/strong>: 49%
Takedown Average<\/strong>: 2.87 (22% accuracy) | Takedown Defense:<\/strong> 60%
Current Ranking<\/strong>: Unranked | Last fight<\/strong>: Unanimous decision loss to Eric McConico<\/p>\n
Record<\/strong>: 18-7 | Age<\/strong>: 36 | Betting line<\/strong>: +135
Wins<\/strong>: 12 KO\/TKO, 1 SUB, 5 DEC | Losses<\/strong>: 1 KO\/TKO, 1 SUB, 5 DEC
Height<\/strong>: 6\u20190\u201c | Reach<\/strong>: 75\u201d | Stance<\/strong>: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute<\/strong>: 2.80 | Striking accuracy<\/strong>: 37%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute<\/strong>: 4.51 | Striking Defense<\/strong>: 55%
Takedown Average<\/strong>: 0.36 (100% accuracy) | Takedown Defense:<\/strong> 71%
Current Ranking<\/strong>: Unranked | Last fight<\/strong>: Unanimous decision loss to Cameron Rowston<\/p>\nPrediction: xxx<\/em><\/h4>\n