The Octagon returns to Meta Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night for UFC Vegas 121: Rosas Jr. vs. Barcelos, a Fight Night card with 12 fights slated.
While admittedly light on name value, there should be some exciting fights and violent finishes for the fans to enjoy. Here are the fights you should be watching out for.
Young phenom Raul Rosas Jr. looks to extend win streak
The headliner of UFC Vegas 121 features two bantamweights each riding five-fight win streaks when Raul Rosas Jr. takes on Raoni Barcelos in a very important matchup at 135 pounds.
It’s sometimes easy to forget that Rosas is only 21 years old, as he’s been in the UFC since he was just 18. He is 6-1 in the UFC and is coming off the biggest win of his MMA career to date when he beat Rob Font by decision in a fight where he scored 16 takedowns. Now, the UFC is giving him a fight against Barcelos, a truly tough veteran test.
Barcelos is among the most underrated fighters in the UFC because despite being 39 years old, he is 11-4 in the UFC and riding a five-fight win streak, including an upset decision win over Payton Talbott in 2025 that has aged incredibly well for the Brazilian.
While Rosas is the favourite to win this fight on the strength of the 18-year age gap, Barcelos is the toughest test of his career and will push him hard for five rounds.
TUF 34 men’s bantamweight finale: International prospects compete
The TUF 34 men’s bantamweight finale features a pair of talented international prospects when Azerbaijan’s Mahammadali Osmanli takes on Kyrgyzstan’s Ilimbek Akylbek.
Osmanli is 12-1 in his pro MMA career, and he looked incredible in the TUF house, winning both his fights by submission, including scoring a rare buggy choke in an impressive victory. That’s a submission that you just don’t see everywhere, and it shows just how skilled a fighter he is.
Akylbek also won both his fights, albeit by decision, and although he is a really good prospect in his own right, this could be a very difficult matchup against the supremely talented Osmanli, who has all the makings of someone who could one day be a champion in this weight class.
TUF 34 women’s strawweight finale: Two talented women throw down
In the TUF 34 women’s strawweight finale, Brazilian Tina Black takes on American Melissa Amay in a fight between two incredible prospects who will both do well in the UFC.
Machado had a cup of coffee on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021, but she lost her chance to get a UFC contract when she lost to Piera Rodriguez. But she has worked hard on the regional scene, being the former Invicta FC women’s strawweight champion and then looking terrific on TUF, as she won both of her fights, including a TKO over Natalia Alves.
Amaya, too, was incredibly impressive in the TUF house, as she won both of her fights on the show by stoppage, including a TKO win over UFC fighter Gigi Canuto. She is also unbeaten as a pro fighter and will look to improve on her 8-0 record with a win here.
Although Black is the favourite, Amaya is absolutely a live dog in this matchup, as both women are incredibly impressive prospects and this is a fight that can truly go either way.
Bantamweight rematch between Montel Jackson and Ricky Simon
We have a rematch on the prelims between bantamweights Montel Jackson and Ricky Simon, who first met back at UFC 227 in 2018, with Simon winning a unanimous decision.
Despite winning the first fight, Simon is the underdog in this matchup, likely because Jackson has the knockout power to end this fight with one punch. But as we saw when they first met eight years ago, Simon has the wrestling chops to make things interesting in this rematch.
With both men winless in their last two fights, it’s possible that this could be a loser-leaves-town matchup, so look for both fighters to give it their all as they try to cement their spot in the UFC.
Important women’s bantamweight bout between top contenders
Buried on the preliminary card for some odd reason is an important women’s bantamweight bout between top-ranked contenders Norma Dumond and Ailin Perez, who are both in the top five.
It’s really puzzling why this fight is so low on the card because the winner could very well be next in line for a title shot against whoever wins between UFC women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes at UFC 334 in November.
With Perez having won six straight fights, she is the favourite here, but Dumont is one of the most experienced fighters in her weight class, and you’d be silly to count her out as the underdog.
It wasn’t that long ago that Mexico’s Yazmin Jauregui was one of the top women’s strawweight prospects in the UFC. But she hasn’t fought in two years since a shocking submission loss to Ketlen Souza at UFC 306 in September 2024, so it’s good to see her back in the Octagon.
The UFC has given Jauregui a favourable matchup against veteran Vanessa Demopoulos, who rides in on a four-fight losing skid. This should be a very winnable fight for Jauregui, who is the biggest favourite on the card, and who should get back into the win column here as she looks to show that she is still a prospect and someone to keep your eye on at 115 pounds.