UFC Fight Night: Rosas Jr. vs. Barcelos takes place Saturday, September 26, 2026, at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, with preliminary card action beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET on Paramount+ and the main card kicking off at 8:00 p.m. ET also on Paramount+. The card features 12 fights across two cards, returning to the APEX for the first time since the promotion’s packed summer slate. Two of those bouts serve as TUF 34 tournament finals, making this one of the denser fight nights of the fall calendar.
Raul Rosas Jr. (12-1) enters the bantamweight main event ranked No. 12 in the division, looking to close the gap on the top ten after winning three straight decisions. Rosas made his UFC debut at 17 years old and went viral as the youngest fighter in promotional history to finish a UFC opponent, but his path since has been more deliberate, relying on grappling and cage control over flashy finishes. His opponent, Raoni Barcelos (22-5), is ranked No. 13 and has strung together four consecutive victories, beating Payton Talbott, Cody Garbrandt, Ricky Simon, and Montel Jackson in that sequence. Two of those opponents, Simon and Jackson, appear on this same card in the prelims. Barcelos at 39 years old is having the best run of his career and is making his first UFC main event appearance. The co-main event adds Norma Dumont (13-3, No. 4 women’s bantamweight) against Ailin Perez (13-2, No. 5) in a matchup that carries ranking implications for both fighters after a run of wins in the 135-pound women’s division.
The card also features a notable UFC debut from Luis Hernandez, a Miami-Dade law enforcement officer who won a DWCS contract less than two weeks ago and was booked as a last-minute replacement when Mickey Gall withdrew. Brady Hiestand and Rinya Nakamura, two of the better bantamweight prospects in the UFC, finally meet after a previously scheduled bout fell through due to injury. Results update below as each fight concludes.
Main Card
Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Raoni Barcelos
Bantamweight, Main Event
Raul Rosas Jr. (12-1) puts his perfect 2026 record on the line against veteran Raoni Barcelos (22-5) in a matchup between two fighters coming off separate win streaks. Rosas became the youngest finisher in UFC history when he submitted Jay Perrin at UFC 282, but the 20-year-old has since shifted toward a more grinding, decision-based approach, winning his last three bouts via unanimous decision including a March 2026 win over Rob Font at UFC 326. Barcelos entered the UFC over a decade ago and has rebuilt his career with a stretch of four straight wins, including wins over two other fighters on tonight’s card: Ricky Simon in November 2025 and Montel Jackson in April 2026. The 39-year-old Brazilian is the oldest fighter on the main card and is making his first UFC headliner after more than 20 promotions appearances. A win for Barcelos would mark one of the more unlikely late-career runs in UFC bantamweight history.
Result: Raul Rosas Jr. def. Raoni Barcelos by KO (Slam), Round 5, 1:38.
Norma Dumont vs. Ailin Perez
Women’s Bantamweight, Co-Main Event
Norma Dumont (13-3) and Ailin Perez (13-2) meet in a co-main event between the No. 4 and No. 5 ranked women’s bantamweights. Dumont, the Brazilian veteran who has been in the UFC since 2020, has won 11 of her 13 fights by decision, with her style built around range control and volume striking behind a long frame. She is coming off a loss to Joselyne Edwards in April 2026, her third defeat in the UFC, but had won the two bouts before that, including a split decision over Ketlen Vieira that drew controversy. Perez, an Argentine fighter, enters at 13-2 and has been steadily climbing the rankings after arriving in the UFC from regional competition in South America. The winner moves into direct title contention talks in a division that has seen increased activity heading into 2027.
Result: Ailin Perez def. Norma Dumont by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), Round 3.
Luis Hernandez vs. Sedriques Dumas
Light Heavyweight, Main Card
Luis Hernandez (8-0) makes his UFC debut less than two weeks after winning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10, stepping in on short notice when Mickey Gall withdrew from this slot following a medical issue discovered during pre-fight evaluation. Hernandez works as a Miami-Dade County law enforcement deputy and turned professional in 2021, finishing every opponent since. He earned the DWCS contract by surviving a near-submission before rallying to stop his opponent with a rear-naked choke in the second round. Sedriques Dumas (10-5, 1 NC) is a fellow DWCS product currently on a three-fight stoppage losing streak inside the UFC octagon, a skid that has raised questions about where the light heavyweight fits at this level. Hernandez weighed in at 204 pounds against Dumas at 197, a seven-pound difference that adds another layer to an already unusual UFC debut context.
Result: Luis Hernandez def. Sedriques Dumas by Submission (Guillotine Choke), Round 1, 0:57.
Mehemmedeli Osmanli vs. Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu
Bantamweight, TUF 34 Final, Main Card
The TUF 34 bantamweight tournament final pairs two undefeated or near-undefeated 22-year-olds from Central Asia and the Caucasus. Mehemmedeli Osmanli from Azerbaijan entered the TUF 34 house as one of the most finished prospects on the cast, holding flyweight and bantamweight titles with New Generation Fighting and three UAE Warriors appearances with no losses. He reached the final by finishing Artem Belakh in the first round and submitting Christian Strong with a second-round buggy choke, a rare technique that generated significant attention. Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu from Kyrgyzstan holds a 7-1 record, won the Octagon League title in Kazakhstan, and had a stint in ONE Championship before joining the TUF 34 cast. He reached the final via a split decision over Sean Mora and a decision win over Xavier Franklin. The winner receives a UFC contract and the TUF 34 bantamweight championship.
Result: Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu def. Mehemmedeli Osmanli by Disqualification (Illegal Knee), Round 1, 2:19.
Melissa Amaya vs. Tina Black
Women’s Strawweight, TUF 34 Final, Main Card
Melissa Amaya from New Mexico, who held an 8-0 professional record before entering The Ultimate Fighter 34, faces Tina Black in the women’s strawweight tournament final. Amaya is a University of New Mexico product and has been active on the regional circuit in the Southwest United States, finishing opponents at a high rate before earning a spot in the TUF 34 house. Black enters as the betting favorite in this final, and the two have already spent weeks training at the TUF gym before this deciding bout. The winner earns a UFC contract and the inaugural TUF 34 women’s strawweight title. Both fighters are making their official UFC debut with this fight.
Result: Tina Black def. Melissa Amaya by TKO (Punches), Round 2, 3:19.
Prelims
Brady Hiestand vs. Rinya Nakamura
Bantamweight, Prelims
Brady Hiestand (9-2) and Rinya Nakamura (10-1) was originally booked for UFC 298 in February 2024 before Hiestand withdrew due to injury, and the two bantamweights finally meet here as featured prelim action. Nakamura, a 31-year-old Japanese wrestler and 2017 U23 World Champion in freestyle wrestling, went on a remarkable 9-0 run in his UFC career that included a Road to UFC Season 1 bantamweight tournament win and multiple Performance of the Night bonuses, before dropping his first decision to Muin Gafurov at UFC 311 in January 2025. He returned to the win column in August 2025 with a first-round TKO over Nathan Fletcher. Hiestand, nicknamed “Bam Bam,” trains at American Top Team and enters at 9-2 with a grappling-heavy game suited for a fight against the wrestling-based Nakamura. Both fighters are ranked in the bantamweight top 15 conversation and a win here would strengthen a case for a bigger booking.
Result: Brady Hiestand def. Rinya Nakamura by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke), Round 2, 4:07.
Rodolfo Vieira vs. Robert Bryczek
Middleweight, Prelims
Rodolfo Vieira (11-5), the four-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion and ADCC Submission Grappling World Champion, has built a UFC career defined by grappling excellence but complicated by a three-fight losing streak heading into this matchup. Vieira holds the UFC record for arm-triangle choke submissions (four), but has dropped decisions to Andre Petroski, Bo Nickal (by third-round head kick), and Eric McConico in consecutive appearances dating back to February 2025. He faces Robert Bryczek (18-7), a Polish fighter who won the PLMMA and FEN middleweight titles before arriving in the UFC in 2024. Bryczek recorded a third-round TKO over Brad Tavares in Paris in September 2025 but came off a unanimous decision loss to Cameron Rowston in May 2026. Both fighters have enough finishing ability to produce a stoppage.
Result: Rodolfo Vieira def. Robert Bryczek by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Rodolfo Bellato vs. Christian Edwards
Light Heavyweight, Prelims
Rodolfo Bellato (13-3-1, 1 NC), the Brazilian light heavyweight nicknamed “Trator,” takes on Christian Edwards (8-5) in a prelim pairing that could reshape both fighters’ UFC trajectories. Bellato has been an active presence in the UFC’s 205-pound division and has shown a tendency to finish opponents when he gets the timing right, though his UFC run has included both highlight performances and puzzling losses. Edwards, 27, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a Bellator MMA veteran who made his UFC debut in 2026 and lost a split decision to Modestas Bukauskas in May. He came back quickly with a TOKO win over Glendal Whitney before securing this booking. Bellato enters as the more experienced UFC fighter, while Edwards has shown he can compete in this field when he keeps the pace high.
Result: Christian Edwards def. Rodolfo Bellato by TKO (Punches), Round 3, 1:47.
Elves Brener vs. Josiah Harrell
Lightweight, Prelims
Elves Brener (16-6) brings a 3-3 UFC record into this lightweight pairing against Josiah Harrell (11-1), who goes by “The Muscle Hamster” and has drawn notice in the promotion for a striking style that belies his smaller stature at 155 pounds. Brener is a Brazilian fighter who has been a consistent if streaky UFC presence, alternating wins and losses through his promotional run. Harrell enters with just one professional loss and has been building a following with his aggressive, crowd-pleasing approach, though his UFC experience is still limited. A clean win here for either fighter would establish a stronger claim in the lightweight ranking picture.
Result: Elves Brener def. Josiah Harrell by TKO (Punches), Round 1, 4:14.
Montel Jackson vs. Ricky Simon
Bantamweight, Prelims
Montel Jackson (15-4) and Ricky Simon (22-7-1) share a common opponent in tonight’s main event headliner Raoni Barcelos, who defeated both men in recent fights. Jackson lost a split decision to Barcelos at UFC Fight Night 274 in April 2026 in a bout where media judges broadly favored Jackson, and Simon had previously dropped a unanimous decision to Barcelos in November 2025. Simon, a black belt in BJJ and one of the leading takedown artists in UFC bantamweight history, is coming off a majority draw with Adrian Yanez in March 2026, a result that kept him from converting a strong performance into a win. Jackson, a Milwaukee native who began his MMA career after setting aside Olympic wrestling aspirations to care for ill family members, has posted eight knockout wins across his 15 victories and enters with clear motivation to get back in the win column after two setbacks.
Result: Montel Jackson def. Ricky Simon by KO (Punch), Round 2, 2:39.
John Castaneda vs. Alatengheili
Bantamweight, Prelims
John Castaneda (21-8-1), nicknamed “Sexi Mexi,” has been one of the more active veteran bantamweights in the UFC, accumulating a record that reflects years of competition at a high level against ranked and near-ranked opponents. Castaneda is coming off a majority draw with Mark Vologdin in April 2026, extending his record with yet another contested result in a UFC career full of them. Alatengheili (17-10-2), the Chinese fighter known as “The Mongolian Knight,” has been in the UFC since 2018 and brings extensive experience across multiple weight classes. He last competed in April 2025, dropping a unanimous decision to Da’Mon Blackshear in Kansas City, and enters here looking to build on a 2024 win over Kleydson Rodrigues. This matchup is a high-pace bantamweight bout between two fighters who have seen nearly everything the division has to offer.
Result: Alatengheili def. John Castaneda by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).
Vanessa Demopoulos vs. Yazmin Jauregui
Women’s Strawweight, Prelims
Vanessa Demopoulos (11-8), known as “Lil Monster,” opens the card in a strawweight matchup against Yazmin Jauregui (11-2). Demopoulos has been in the UFC since 2021 and has carved out a reputation for action-heavy fights, going five rounds multiple times and never leaving fans without moments to react to. Her 5-5 UFC record includes wins over Jennifer Maia and Iasmin Lucindo but several setbacks against the division’s better grapplers. Jauregui, a Mexican striker with seven knockouts in her 11 wins, has been away from competition since September 2024 when she submitted to Ketlen Souza by rear-naked choke at UFC 306, a loss that snapped a two-fight winning streak. She returns here with a full year of preparation behind her, and given both fighters’ finishing rates, this opener has the potential to set an early tone for the evening.
Result: Yazmin Jauregui def. Vanessa Demopoulos by TKO (Strikes), Round 1, 1:02.
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