Raul Rosas Jr.W vs. Raoni Barcelos
UFC Fight Night · September 26, 2026 · Meta Apex · Main Card 8:00 PM ET
The brief
- The result
- Raul Rosas Jr. by KO/TKO (slam), R5
- What kind of fight
- Prospect vs. grizzled veteran
- Finish likelihood
- Medium
- The line
- Jr. -175 · Barcelos +150Consensus (multiple sportsbooks)
- The stakes
- Bantamweight · Main event
The result
Raul Rosas Jr. def. Raoni Barcelos — KO/TKO (slam), R5 1:38
Raul Rosas Jr. survived a five-round war and scored a freak knockout of Raoni Barcelos to win his first UFC main event.
Deep into round five, Rosas Jr. answered a Barcelos takedown attempt with a trip of his own, and the two men's heads collided on the way down, instantly knocking Barcelos unconscious at 1:38 of the fifth round.
Barcelos was stretchered out of the Octagon and taken to a hospital for evaluation, though he was reported conscious and undergoing head and neck scans afterward.
The breakdown below was written before the fight.
The read
Rosas Jr.'s ceiling is obvious, but main-event pace across five rounds is uncharted territory for him, and Barcelos has made a career out of grinding down younger, faster opposition.
If the fight hits the mat, Rosas Jr.'s submission threat is real; if it stays a wrestling contest, Barcelos's own collegiate-level pedigree and experience become the deciding factor.
A tight, competitive five rounds is the likeliest outcome.
The matchup
This is a generational gap fight disguised as a title eliminator, pitting the youngest fighter ever signed by the UFC against a 39-year-old still chasing his first title shot.
Rosas Jr.'s wrestling and submission game has produced finishes in half his career wins, but he has never faced a five-round main event or an opponent with Barcelos's wrestling pedigree and durability.
Barcelos, meanwhile, is riding the best form of his career at an age when most bantamweights are winding down.
Tale of the tape
| 12-1 | Record | 22-5 |
| 21 | Age | 39 |
| 5'9" | Height | 5'7" |
| 67" | Reach | 67" |
| Southpaw | Stance | Orthodox |
| Mexico | Country | Brazil |
| 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu | Team | Top Brother MMA |
The numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
The fighters
Raul Rosas Jr. 12-1
“El Nino Problema”
Raul 'El Nino Problema' Rosas Jr. became the youngest fighter ever signed by the UFC when he earned his contract off Dana White's Contender Series as a teenager, and he headlines for the first time at just 21 years old. A 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu product built around wrestling and submissions, six of his twelve career wins have come by tapout. He rides a five-fight winning streak, most recently a unanimous decision over former title challenger Rob Font, and is ranked No. 12 in the bantamweight division heading into Las Vegas.
- WRob Font · Decision (unanimous)UFC 326 · March 7, 2026
- WVince Morales · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Erceg · March 29, 2025
- WAori Qileng · Decision (unanimous)UFC 306 · September 14, 2024
Raoni Barcelos 22-5
Raoni Barcelos is a 39-year-old Brazilian bantamweight, a five-time national wrestling champion and former RFA featherweight titleholder, ranked No. 13 as he chases a first UFC title shot deep into his career. He rides a five-fight win streak that includes decisions over Ricky Simon and Montel Jackson, both of whom also appear elsewhere on this card, and now takes the toughest style test of that run against a hyped 21-year-old in the main event.
- WMontel Jackson · Decision (split)UFC Fight Night · April 25, 2026
- WRicky Simon · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs. Brown · November 8, 2025
- WCody Garbrandt · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley · June 14, 2025