UFC Vegas 121: Barcelos Suffers Scary Knockout Loss, Two TUF Champions Crowned
The short version
- Raoni Barcelos suffered a frightening phantom knockout loss to Raul Rosas Jr. in the main event; reports said he was conscious afterward
- Tina Black won the TUF strawweight final by finishing Melissa Amaya with counter right hands
- Ilimbek Akylbek won the TUF bantamweight final by disqualification after Mehemmedali Osmanli landed an illegal knee
- Brady Hiestand upset Rinya Nakamura with a second-round submission, his fourth straight win
- Elves Brener snapped a three-fight skid with a win over Josiah Harrell
UFC's return to Las Vegas was overshadowed by a frightening finish in the main event between Raoni Barcelos and Raul Rosas Jr.
Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to its home venue, the Meta Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, for UFC Vegas 121. The card was headlined by a bantamweight matchup between veteran Raoni Barcelos and Raul Rosas Jr., a bout notable for the 18-year age gap between the two fighters. The event also featured two Ultimate Fighter season finale bouts and several prospects on the undercard.
The main event produced the most alarming moment of the night. Barcelos lost what has been described as a phantom knockout, and there were suggestions it may have been some other kind of medical episode rather than a standard fight-ending blow. Reports after the event indicated Barcelos was conscious, though questions remained about the full nature of the incident. In his post-fight interview, Rosas Jr. asked viewers to pray for Barcelos. The bout itself featured more than 20 minutes of competitive action, including Rosas Jr.'s improved striking and Barcelos' takedown work.
The first of two Ultimate Fighter finales crowned a new champion at strawweight, as Tina Black defeated Melissa Amaya. Black controlled the fight largely with her counter right hand, repeatedly catching Amaya with intercepting shots as Amaya moved forward. She also showed effective offense behind a double jab. The right hands eventually rocked and finished Amaya. Black, who competes at 115 pounds, is considered a strong addition to the UFC roster and someone who could have earned a contract without going through the TUF house.
The bantamweight TUF final between Ilimbek Akylbek and Mehemmedali Osmanli ended in unusual fashion. Osmanli, who had advanced with a buggy choke in the semi-finals, landed a major illegal knee to the face of a kneeling Akylbek early in the first round. The foul resulted in a disqualification victory for Akylbek, leaving the finale without a conventional resolution and producing widespread disappointment.
The preliminary card headliner saw Brady Hiestand score an upset of Rinya Nakamura. Hiestand opened with a heavy takedown attack that, while unsuccessful at getting Nakamura to the mat, allowed him to feint level changes and mix in strikes. Nakamura's kickboxing was sharp, with his left kick landing to the body and forcing Hiestand off his stance, and his punches carried more power.
The fight escalated in round two. Nakamura began wrestling offensively and survived a deep choke attempt, then hurt Hiestand with a flurry of left hands and elbows along the fence. However, Nakamura twice failed to respect Hiestand's submission threat while scrambling for position. Hiestand got behind him and locked in a choke, and by the time Nakamura shifted to defending his neck, it was too late. Hiestand, nicknamed "Bam Bam," has now won four straight in what ranks as the biggest victory of his career, and he may be approaching the bantamweight rankings.
Elsewhere on the card, Elves Brener got back in the win column with a win over Josiah Harrell. Brener, a Chute Boxe member and teammate of Charles Oliveira, had started his UFC run with an upset win over Guram Kutateladze and a knockout victory before dropping three straight to Myktybek Orolbai, Joel Alvarez and Esteban Ribovics. Facing Harrell, Brener shut down the takedown attempts, switched stances to disguise his offense and landed hard kicks to multiple targets on his way to the victory.
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