by AAA Sports
Tuesday, Sep 22, 2026
UFC Fight Night: Rosas Jr. vs. Barcelos takes place on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. The main event features a battle of bantamweights. Raúl Rosas Jr. AKA "El Nino Problema" is still a couple weeks shy of his 22nd birthday but he's already got a 12-1 record. Rosas Jr. is off five straight wins. Most recently, he defeated Rob Font (now 39 years old) in a unanimous decision, his third straight decision victory. Once again, El Nino Problema will be taking on a fighter old enough to be his father. Raoni Barcelos is now 39. However, unlike Font, who is just 3-6 his past night fights, Barcelos (22-5) has won five straight, the past four coming by decision.
The Matchup: Primarily a grappler, outside of the decision wins, Rosas Jr. also has six submission victories to his credit. In the UFC, he's averaging over six takedowns per 15 minutes. That elite level of grappling has been too much for most of his opponents. However, Barcelos is a better wrestler than most of Rosas' previous foes. A well-rounded, physically strong fighter, given his current form, Barcelos is arguably Rosas Jr's most dangerous fight.
The Odds: Despite Barcelos' recent run of success, Rosas Jr. is a -170 favorite. Given that these fighters have "gone the distance" in seven straight combined fights, its not surprising that the "over 3.5 rounds" option comes with a -170 price tag.
The Verdict: The price is a little steep but this fight will very likely be decided by the judges. Barcelos should be stuff most of Rosas' takedown attempts and survive the ones which he can't. Play the Over 3.5 rounds.
_______________________________
Ailin Pérez (13-2) vs Norma "The Immortal" Dumont (12-2). One of the more interesting contests on Saturday's card features a pair of highly ranked female bantamweight fighters. Not only do Dumont (35) and Pérez (31) have similar records but there's also some bad blood between the two. Dumont lost her last fight by decision. She won her previous six fights though and she's 2-0 when coming off a loss. Pérez is off six straight wins.
The Matchup: Pérez's style features pressure, clinch work and takedowns. Once she gets her opponent down, she likes grinding from top position. In addition to being four years younger, Pérez also has a strong defense. She absorbs 1.58 significant strikes per minute, compared with Dumont's 2.33. Dumont has the physical edge and she also has the higher striking output. She's 5'7" with a 67" reach against Pérez's 5'5" and 66" reach. Dumont also lands 3.85 significant strikes per minute to Pérez's 2.88. At the beginning of her UFC career, Dumont fought at featherweight, which is 145 pounds instead of 135. So she's likely going to be the bigger, stronger woman in the clinch.
The Odds: While she started out as a very slight favorite, Pérez is currently laying -140. The total is set at 2.5 rounds with price on the over coming in at at outrageous -540.
The Verdict: This should be a close battle which goes the distance. Ultimately, the underdog's physical strength and size will make the difference. Play Norma Dumont
The Matchup: Primarily a grappler, outside of the decision wins, Rosas Jr. also has six submission victories to his credit. In the UFC, he's averaging over six takedowns per 15 minutes. That elite level of grappling has been too much for most of his opponents. However, Barcelos is a better wrestler than most of Rosas' previous foes. A well-rounded, physically strong fighter, given his current form, Barcelos is arguably Rosas Jr's most dangerous fight.
The Odds: Despite Barcelos' recent run of success, Rosas Jr. is a -170 favorite. Given that these fighters have "gone the distance" in seven straight combined fights, its not surprising that the "over 3.5 rounds" option comes with a -170 price tag.
The Verdict: The price is a little steep but this fight will very likely be decided by the judges. Barcelos should be stuff most of Rosas' takedown attempts and survive the ones which he can't. Play the Over 3.5 rounds.
_______________________________
Ailin Pérez (13-2) vs Norma "The Immortal" Dumont (12-2). One of the more interesting contests on Saturday's card features a pair of highly ranked female bantamweight fighters. Not only do Dumont (35) and Pérez (31) have similar records but there's also some bad blood between the two. Dumont lost her last fight by decision. She won her previous six fights though and she's 2-0 when coming off a loss. Pérez is off six straight wins.
The Matchup: Pérez's style features pressure, clinch work and takedowns. Once she gets her opponent down, she likes grinding from top position. In addition to being four years younger, Pérez also has a strong defense. She absorbs 1.58 significant strikes per minute, compared with Dumont's 2.33. Dumont has the physical edge and she also has the higher striking output. She's 5'7" with a 67" reach against Pérez's 5'5" and 66" reach. Dumont also lands 3.85 significant strikes per minute to Pérez's 2.88. At the beginning of her UFC career, Dumont fought at featherweight, which is 145 pounds instead of 135. So she's likely going to be the bigger, stronger woman in the clinch.
The Odds: While she started out as a very slight favorite, Pérez is currently laying -140. The total is set at 2.5 rounds with price on the over coming in at at outrageous -540.
The Verdict: This should be a close battle which goes the distance. Ultimately, the underdog's physical strength and size will make the difference. Play Norma Dumont
