UFC Vegas 121 Start Time, Full Fight Card Details

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back in Las Vegas, Nevada, staging UFC Vegas 121 later TONIGHT (Sat., Sept. 26, 2026) from inside Meta Apex, with a Bantamweight bout between Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Raoni Barcelos at the helm. In the co-main event, Norma Dumont will lock horns with Ailin Perez in a long-awaited women’s 135-pound “Booty Battle.”

What’s Hot:

Just a few weeks after seeing his brother — Jessie Rosas — get knocked out cold in his UFC debut (see it here), Rosas Jr. will attempt to shake that off and secure his sixth straight win. After suffering the first and only defeat in his mixed martial arts (MMA) career in 2023, Rosas Jr. regrouped, marched on and has gone on a pretty good tear. He isn’t ranked in the Top 15 just yet, but if he can defeat Barcelos — who is ranked No. 8 in the division — the 21-year-old standout will likely overtake that spot and get set up for bigger and better fights moving forward. What makes Rosas Jr. special is that at his young age (he made his UFC debut at age 18) he has proven to be a very well-rounded fighter. He can strike, wrestle and has a pretty good gas tank. His jiu-jitsu is outstanding and has locked down six submissions wins throughout his career. And he will need all of his tools against Barcelos, who is a seasoned veteran with a comparable skill set.

Speaking of which, Barcelos has also been on a nice, quiet run. He, too, has won five in a row with his last defeat also coming five years ago. With a record of 11-4 inside the Octagon over the course of nine years, Barcelos has gained the experience and won big fights such as defeating Cody Garbrandt and Said Nurmagomedov. That said, he just doesn’t have the “name value” at the moment to get him into championship consideration. Now, that’s not all that matters, but we have seen in the past that if your name carries weight )or are a loudmouth like this) and win consistently, then you get a straight shot to the title. But, Barcelos is taking the long and traditional way: win, mind your business and hope that is enough to get there. If he can lock down his sixth straight win against Rosas Jr., he will get closer to a Top 5. That said, a win won’t come easy and I do expect this to be a grueling, drawn out fight that is 50/50 for me at the moment.

Original Card Vs. Actual Card/Injuries

Mickey Gall was forced out of his fight against Sedriques Dumas during fight week after he came down with an illness. Stepping in to fill the void will be UFC newcomer, Luis Hernandez, who is looking to make the most of his last-second opportunity.

New Blood:

As we mentioned earlier, Hernandez stepped up to the plate and will now make his official UFC debut just a a few weeks after earning a contract on Contender Series. Hernandez is undefeated (8-0) in his MMA career with all eight wins coming by some sort of finish. Hernandez has a big opportunity here because many already know him not only for his big win on Contender Series, but because he had a run-in with none other than Sean Strickland at a regional MMA event (more on that here). And did we mention that he is an active Sheriff’s deputy? During one of his regional bouts against one of Strickland’s training partners, Hernandez flipped “Tarzan” and his corner the bird after his submission win. That obviously didn’t sit too well with the team, as they quickly stormed the cage and went to town on him (see the video here). Hernandez obviously has a wild personality, and now he has the chance to deliver on the big stage. If he can, I see him getting fast-tracked to stardom ala Sean O’ Malley. As for Dumas — who is a convicted felon — is 1-4-1 in his last five fights with the promotion, so if he loses here he could be out for good.

In what can only be classified as a head-scratching move, two UFC newcomers in Melissa Amaya and Tina Black will make their debuts against each other on the main card. I would have imagined a fight like this to take place on the undercard, especially when you have a fight like Edwards vs. Bellato on the “Prelims.” Nevertheless, the two ladies will look to make the most of the opportunity at hand. Amaya is undefeated (8-0), while Machado is more experienced with a 15-4 record.

We have another bout between two UFC rookies on the main card as Ilimbek Akylbek vs. Mehemmedeli Osmanli will battle in a Bantamweight bout. Osmanli is on a nine-fight win streak, while Akylbek has won two in a row. Whatever happened to working your way onto a main card?

How The ‘Prelims’ Look:

In the headlining bout of the undercard, surging Bantamweights Rinya Nakamura vs. Brady Hiestand face off in what should be a fun and entertaining bout. Nakamura is 6-1 with the promotion with four finishes with his lone loss coming at the hands of Muin Gafurov. As for Heistand, after suffering a split-decision defeat in his UFC debut, he has won three straight and is out to make it four in a row against a tough competitor who has his sights set on the Top 15.

John Casteneda has been all over the place during his six-year run with the promotion, which is the reason he simply isn’t on a lot of people’s radar. He has only managed to rack up a 4-4-1 record and is win-less in his last three bouts. He will look to turn it around against Heili Alateng, who is 1-2 in his last three UFC fights and is coming off a loss to Da’Mon Blackshear.

In another battle between two struggling fighters, Ricky Simon vs. Montel Jackson will throw down in a crucial Bantamweight bout. Not crucial as in the winner gets a title shot, but rather, the winner gets some much-needed breathing room. Simon is 2-4-1 in his last seven fights, while Jackson has lost two in a row. This could be a “Loser Leaves Town” match, as well.

Elves Brener is yet another fighter who could be fighting for his spot on UFC’s roster. He has lost three in a row after winning his first three fights inside the Octagon. He will attempt to avoid his fourth straight defeat when he goes head up against Josiah Harrell, who came up short in his Octagon debut, losing to Jacobe Smith after starting his professional career with a perfect record (11-0).

Former Bellator MMA Middleweight standout, Christian Edwards, suffered a close split-decision defeat in his UFC debut to Modestas Bukauskas, and is now on the hunt for his first taste of victory with the promotion when he battles Rodolfo Bellato, who is fresh off a first round knockout win over Luke Fernandez. I really like this fight and I cannot understand why this bout is not on the main card in place of a few questionable matchups that could have been relegated to the “Prelims.”

Rodolfo Vieira got off to a nice 5-2 start to his UFC career, but has since lost three of his last four. Currently on a two-fight skid, “The Black Belt Hunter” will battle Robert Bryczek, who is off to a rough start to his UFC run, losing two of three bouts.

Who Needs A Win Badly:

Vanessa Demopoulos has lost her last three fights inside the Octagon and is on the edge of getting cut if she can’t turn it around. Looking to hand her a fourth straight defeat is Yazmin Jaurequi, who is coming off a first round loss at the hands of Ketlen Souza. She is just 1-2 in her last three fights, so she also needs some consistency. In the end, however, she can likely afford another loss compared to Demopoulos, who does not have that luxury because of her constant struggles. If she loses again, I would not be surprised if she gets cut. But hey, at least she can say she mauled boxing champion, Shakur Stevenson.

Interest Level: 6/10

In the co-main event of the evening, Norma Dumont vs. Ailin Perez will throw down in a heated women’s Bantamweight showdown. Dumont (No. 2) is simply fighting to get back on track after suffering a tough loss at the hands of Joselyne Edwards, which snapped her six-fight win streak and halted her run to the title. In fact, it’s not too far-fetched to say that another win would’ve gotten her there. Nevertheless, she now has to regroup and start another run.

As for Perez, since suffering a loss in her UFC debut, she has been nothing short of impressive, racking up six straight wins which has earned her the No. 4 spot on the rankings. If she can defeat Dumont, she will firmly throw her hat in the championship picture. She already has a win over the aforementioned Joselyne Edwards — who is currently ranked No. 1 in the division — so things could get very interesting if Perez proves victorious. Kayla Harrison is set to defend her belt against Amanda Nunes at UFC 334, so things are starting to pick up in the division. With a win for Perez, she will go into the No. 2 spot behind a person she already beat, so UFC matchmakers will have an interesting decision to make.

Overall, the card is not that great aside from a couple of good bouts. That said, we have seen in the past that the events that are not jam-packed with a ton of big names can deliver epic performances; however, I don’t know if this card has enough to even get people to tune in live. There aren’t a ton of other combat options out there competing for views, except for former UFC champions Henry Cejudo vs. Tony Ferguson taking their talents to the boxing ring for a Misfits event. There’s “Till vs. Romero,” too (more on that here).

Enjoy the fights!

Full UFC Vegas 121 Fight Card:

UFC Vegas 121 Main Event On Paramount+:

135 lbs.: Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Raoni Barcelos

UFC Vegas 121 Main Card on Paramount+ (8 p.m. ET):

135 lbs.: Norma Dumont vs. Ailin Perez
205 lbs.: Sedriques Dumas vs. Luis Hernandez (not Mickey Gall)
135 lbs.: Ilimbek Akylbek vs. Mehemmedeli Osmanli
115 lbs.: Tina Black vs. Melissa Amaya

UFC Vegas 121 ‘Prelims’ Card on Paramount+ (5 p.m. ET):

135 lbs.: Rinya Nakamura vs. Brady Hiestand
185 lbs.: Rodolfo Vieira vs. Robert Bryczek
205 lbs.: Rodolfo Bellato vs. Christian Edwards
155 lbs.: Elves Brener vs. Josiah Harrell
135 lbs.: Montel Jackson vs. Ricky Simon
135 lbs.: John Castaneda vs. Alatengheili
115 lbs.: Yazmin Jauregui vs. Vanessa Demopoulos

*Fight card, bout order and amount of fights remain subject to change.

For the rest of the UFC Vegas 121 fight card and Paramount+ lineup click here.