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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight grapplers Raul Rosas Jr.<\/strong> vs. Raoni Barcelos<\/strong> will collide this weekend (Sat., Sept. 26, 2026) inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, for UFC Vegas 121.<\/p>\n At 21 years of age, Rosas Jr. has won six UFC fights and earned a Top 15 ranking in the highly competitive Bantamweight division. Perhaps the initial hype train went a little off the rails, but those are still remarkable accomplishments for the young talent! After five straight wins, Rosas Jr. has scored his first-ever main event slot versus Brazil\u2019s Barcelos. Eighteen years his opponent\u2019s elder, Barcelos has been in the cage with many of the division\u2019s finest. He\u2019s in the midst of a resurgence, having put together five high-quality wins of his own (like this) ahead of this high-profile battle.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:<\/p>\n MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – FEBRUARY 24: (R-L) Raoni Barcelos of Brazil lands a knee to Cristian Quinonez of Mexico in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Arena CDMX on February 24, 2024 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Josh Hedges\/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Zuffa LLC via Getty Images<\/p>\n LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 07: (R-L) Raul Rosas Jr. strikes Rob Font in a bantamweight fight during the UFC 326 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 07, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n Rosas Jr. is a gifted athlete and jiu-jitsu black belt. Large for the Bantamweight division, Rosas Jr. is routinely able to overpower his opponents with takedowns and then dominate on the canvas. His kickboxing has developed nicely throughout his three years on UFC\u2019s roster as well, becoming more fluid and more powerful even if there\u2019s still room for improvement.<\/p>\n The great question here is Rosas Jr.\u2019s gas tank. Does he have the capacity to out-grind a very skilled wrestler\/grappler for 25 minutes? It\u2019s not going to be easy to submit Barcelos, a fellow black belt who is also tough as an old leather boot. Most likely, this fight is going long, which means Rosas Jr. cannot empty the gas tank early on with relentless takedowns.<\/p>\n This might be the time to show off that improved standup. Rosas Jr. is the better and rangier kicker, so he should look to win the distance battle and time Barcelos coming forward with counters. As the quicker and younger man, he should be able to trade with Barcelos with a reasonable degree of comfort.<\/p>\n The striking is a means to an end, of course. Rosas Jr. still wants to use his wrestling to gain top position and win rounds, but if he can do so without sprinting relentlessly towards the takedown, he\u2019ll perform better in the second half of the fight.<\/p>\n MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – FEBRUARY 24: (L-R) Raoni Barcelos of Brazil attempts a submission against Cristian Quinonez of Mexico in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Arena CDMX on February 24, 2024 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Josh Hedges\/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Zuffa LLC via Getty Images<\/p>\n Barcelos is an accomplished wrestler and longtime black belt. In fact, he was a primary sparring partner of Jose Aldo<\/strong> for much of the champion\u2019s legendary Featherweight run. On the feet, Barcelos does have power in his right hand and brings a varied kickboxing attack.<\/p>\n Strange as this is to write about the 39-year-old, I\u2019d like to see Barcelos forcing the issue here. He\u2019s a much more technical wrestler with equally slick jiu-jitsu transitions, so why not take the fight to Rosas Jr? If Barcelos could keep up with gigantic cardio machine Payton Talbott<\/strong>, he should be able to scramble at a better pace than Rosas Jr., who still tends to slow down in 15 minute fights.<\/p>\n Cardio alone could win this fight for Barcelos, particularly if Rosas Jr. is trying to muscle him around.<\/p>\n On that note, Barcelos should be pushing the pace on the feet, too. He\u2019s the better combination puncher and looks more natural in the pocket, whereas Rosas Jr. will likely prefer a longer distance. If Barcelos is feinting his takedowns then exploding into body-head combinations, he\u2019s likely to catch Rosas Jr. clean and force bad reactions from the young talent.<\/p>\n MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – FEBRUARY 24: Raoni Barcelos of Brazil reacts after defeating Cristian Quinonez of Mexico in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Arena CDMX on February 24, 2024 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Josh Hedges\/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Zuffa LLC via Getty Images<\/p>\n There are two possible ways I can envision Rosas Jr. winning this fight, though both require a level up from previous performances. He\u2019s shown more punching power recently, so perhaps he could catch Barcelos early in the fight a la Umar Nurmagomedov.<\/strong> Alternatively, Rosas Jr. could demonstrate a heretofore unprecedented level of cardio and bully the older man for five rounds.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t really buy either outcome.<\/p>\n Barcelos just walked through the punches of a knockout artist in Montel Jackson<\/strong> \u2014 his chin is still trustworthy. Meanwhile, Rosas Jr. consistently gets tired in fights he\u2019s winning, and he\u2019s never faced a wrestler with the skill of Barcelos. He\u2019s going to have to work hard<\/em> to take and hold down Barcelos, so his effectiveness is likely to drop off midway through the second.<\/p>\n Right when 39-year-old Barcelos is getting warmed up.<\/p>\nRosas Jr. vs. Barcelos Betting Odds<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Rosas Jr. vs. Barcelos Prediction<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Prediction: <\/strong>Barcelos via decision<\/em><\/h4>\n<\/p>\n
To checkout the latest <\/strong>UFC Vegas 121 fight card and rumors click here.<\/strong><\/h5>\n