UFC returned to the Meta APEX in Las Vegas with a 12-fight card on September 26. The event produced knockouts, submissions, an upset and a rare disqualification.The UFC Vegas 121 results ended with Raul Rosas Jr. defeating Raoni Barcelos in the fifth round. Ailin Perez also settled her rivalry with Norma Dumont in the co-main event.
Raul Rosas Jr. Stops Raoni Barcelos in Round 5
Raul Rosas Jr. 13-1-0 recorded the biggest victory of his young career against Raoni Barcelos. The 21-year-old entered his first UFC main event against an experienced Brazilian riding a five-fight winning streak.
The fight reached the fifth round before Barcelos suffered an injury during an exchange. Rosas received the knockout victory at 1:38 of Round 5. Barcelos 22-6-0 saw his winning streak end with the defeat.
Rosas Jr. Takes Another Step in the Bantamweight Division
Rosas entered the event ranked No. 12, while Barcelos held the No. 13 position. Both fighters arrived with five consecutive victories, making the matchup important for the division. UFC
The victory gives Rosas another major result after beating Rob Font earlier this year. His rise also adds another young contender to a division featuring many of the names covered in our UFC bantamweight fighters breakdown.
Ailin Perez Beats Norma Dumont in Heated Co-Main Event
Ailin Perez 14-2-0 backed up her pre-fight confidence by defeating Norma Dumont. Their rivalry had become one of the biggest talking points entering UFC Vegas 121.
Perez earned a unanimous decision after three rounds. All three judges scored the fight 29-28 in her favor. Dumont 13-4-0 suffered another setback in a crucial women’s bantamweight matchup.
Luis Hernandez Needs Just 57 Seconds
Luis Hernandez 9-0-0 made an immediate impression in his UFC debut. He accepted the Sedriques Dumas fight on extremely short notice after Mickey Gall withdrew.
Hernandez hurt Dumas early before securing a standing guillotine. Sedriques Dumas 10-6-0, 1 NC tapped at just 57 seconds of Round 1. Hernandez had earned his UFC contract only 11 days before the fight.
Ilimbek Akylbek Wins TUF Final by Disqualification
The Ultimate Fighter Season 34 bantamweight final ended under unusual circumstances. Ilimbek Akylbek 12-3-0 defeated Mahammadali Osmanli after an illegal knee.
Osmanli 13-2-0 landed the illegal strike while Akylbek was grounded. The referee stopped the contest at 2:19 of Round 1, giving Akylbek the disqualification victory.Â
Tina Black Knocks Out Melissa Amaya
Tina Black 17-4-0, 1 NC captured The Ultimate Fighter Season 34 strawweight crown. She stopped previously unbeaten Melissa Amaya in the second round.
Black found the finish with punches at 3:19. Melissa Amaya 9-1-0 suffered her first professional defeat after entering UFC Vegas 121 unbeaten.
Brady Hiestand Pulls Off a Major Upset
Brady Hiestand 10-2-0 delivered one of the night’s biggest surprises against Rinya Nakamura. Nakamura entered as a sizeable favorite because of his wrestling and athletic ability.
Hiestand took control once the fight reached the mat. He secured a rear-naked choke at 4:07 of Round 2, handing Rinya Nakamura 10-2-0 another professional defeat.Â
Montel Jackson Gets Revenge Against Ricky Simon
Montel Jackson 16-4-0 stopped Ricky Simon in their bantamweight rematch. Simon had beaten Jackson by unanimous decision during their first meeting at UFC 227.
Jackson changed the story this time. He stopped Ricky Simon 22-8-1 with punches at 2:39 of Round 2, adding another finish to his UFC record.
Yazmin Jauregui Makes Explosive UFC Return
Yazmin Jauregui 12-2-0 wasted little time against Vanessa Demopoulos. Jauregui overwhelmed her opponent with strikes immediately after the opening bell.
The referee stopped the contest at only 1:02 of Round 1. Vanessa Demopoulos 11-9-0 could not escape the early pressure, giving Jauregui a statement victory after a lengthy absence.
Christian Edwards Stops Rodolfo Bellato
Christian Edwards 9-5-0 produced another finish on the preliminary card. He defeated Rodolfo Bellato with strikes in the third round.
A left cross helped create the finishing sequence before Edwards followed with more punches. The stoppage came at 1:47, dropping Rodolfo Bellato 13-4-1, 1 NC to another defeat.Â
Elves Brener Knocks Out Josiah Harrell
Elves Brener 17-6-0 returned to the win column with an impressive first-round knockout. He faced Josiah Harrell in a lightweight contest.
Brener landed the decisive right hand late in the opening round. The knockout came at 4:14, while Josiah Harrell 11-2-0 suffered his second professional loss.Â
Vieira and Alatengheili Earn Decision Victories
Rodolfo Vieira 12-5-0 defeated Robert Bryczek by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the middleweight contest 30-27, leaving Bryczek 18-8-0 after the defeat.
Alatengheili 18-10-2 edged John Castaneda by split decision. Two judges scored the fight 29-28 for Alatengheili, while the remaining judge backed Castaneda 29-28. Castaneda moved to 21-9-1.Â
UFC Vegas 121 Delivered Seven Finishes
Seven of the 12 contests ended without requiring the judges. Rosas, Hernandez, Black, Hiestand, Jackson, Edwards and Brener all secured stoppage victories.
The variety of finishes also showed several different MMA fighting styles across the card. Knockouts, wrestling exchanges, submissions and an unusual disqualification all shaped the event.
Final Thoughts
The UFC Vegas 121 results gave Raul Rosas Jr. the biggest victory of his career. His fifth-round finish over Barcelos should strengthen his position among the UFC’s ranked bantamweights.
Perez also secured an important divisional victory, while Hernandez produced one of the night’s fastest finishes. Hiestand’s submission upset and Black’s TUF championship victory added more memorable moments to a finish-heavy night.
FAQs
Who won the UFC Vegas 121 main event?
Raul Rosas Jr. defeated Raoni Barcelos by fifth-round knockout following an injury at 1:38.
Who won Norma Dumont vs Ailin Perez?
Ailin Perez defeated Norma Dumont by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the fight 29-28.
How many fights were at UFC Vegas 121?
UFC Vegas 121 featured 12 fights at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
Who won The Ultimate Fighter 34 finals?
Ilimbek Akylbek won the bantamweight final by disqualification. Tina Black won the strawweight final by second-round TKO.
What was the biggest upset at UFC Vegas 121?
Brady Hiestand produced a major upset by submitting heavily favored Rinya Nakamura with a second-round rear-naked choke.
