UFC Fight Night predictions -- Raul Rosas vs. Raoni Barcelos: Fight card, odds and expert picks for Vegas — SkimNews
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- Raul Rosas Jr. (13-1) becomes the youngest fighter to headline a UFC card at 21 on Saturday, already the youngest UFC signee and the youngest fighter to crack the bantamweight rankings.
- Raoni Barcelos (22-5), a 39-year-old veteran on a five-fight win streak — all against younger opponents — enters the main event with 87% takedown defense.
- Barcelos spent camps preparing for elite grapplers Umar Nurmagomedov and Ricky Simon, a contrast to Rosas whose striking output the source calls 'pitiful' and who leans on wrestling to win rounds.
- The co-main event pits Norma Dumont against Ailin Perez in women's bantamweight, with the winner positioned for a title shot at the Amanda Nunes vs. Kayla Harrison winner in November.
- Luis Hernandez makes a short-notice UFC debut against Sedriques Dumas after Mickey Gall withdrew with an injury; Hernandez scored a Contender Series submission 11 days ago.
- The expert prediction is Barcelos via split decision, reasoning that the veteran steals rounds on the feet while neutralizing Rosas' wrestling game plan.
- UFC Fight Night airs Saturday, Sept. 26 from Meta APEX in Las Vegas, starting at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount+; odds are provided by DraftKings.
Why it matters: The split-decision pick directly tests the timeline Rosas himself set — UFC champion by 25 — because Barcelos' 87% takedown defense targets the exact gap in the prodigy's game: striking so weak that his wrestling-dependent rounds are vulnerable against a grappler who neutralizes takedowns.
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