Raul Rosas Jr. Reflects on Frightening UFC Vegas 121 Finish Against Raoni Barcelos

Rosas Recalls Terrifying End to UFC Vegas 121 Bout

Raul Rosas Jr. looked back at the chilling conclusion of his UFC Vegas 121 main event fight against Raoni Barcelos on Saturday night. The 21-year-old secured a knockout victory in the fifth round over the seasoned Barcelos, who was 39 years old. Officially ruled a slam knockout, the ending took a frightening turn when Barcelos appeared to lose consciousness during the takedown, before even hitting the mat.

Barcelos was carried out of the Octagon on a stretcher and taken to the hospital. The UFC confirmed he is now stable, alert, responsive, and fully able to move his limbs.

Initial Shock and Concern

"For a second, I didn’t know if he died, to be honest," Rosas shared on The Ariel Helwani Show. "But when I calmed myself down a little bit and was just looking, I checked if he was breathing and saw his body breathing, so I was like, OK, he’s not dead, for sure."

He added that this realization brought some peace, but he remained praying for Barcelos to regain consciousness and reunite with his family.

Emotional Impact on Rosas

The scary moment cast a shadow over what was otherwise a significant milestone for Rosas, extending his winning streak in the UFC to six fights. He acknowledged the mixed feelings about the outcome.

"It was scary because of that, but to be honest, yes, I was happy about my performance on the side," Rosas said. "He’ll probably feel sad about the result, but I’m pretty sure he’ll feel happy about the fight, because we both went out there and gave it our all and were willing to do whatever to get our hand raised that night."

Rosas mentioned he has reached out to Barcelos but has yet to receive a reply. Barcelos reportedly woke up later that night and was able to move his arms and legs. Statements have since been released by Barcelos and his coaching team.

The Fight’s Grueling Nature and Unclear Ending

The bantamweight clash stretched five intense rounds. Rosas remains puzzled about what exactly caused Barcelos to lose consciousness.

"From my side, I didn’t hit his head," Rosas explained. "You can see that on the video, and I even watched the replay. I want to see if he remembers and what he can say about that. He’s the one who knows better than anybody, if he remembers."

He reflected on the fourth round, where Barcelos had him under heavy submission attempts. Rosas described that Barcelos was gasping for air, unable to choke him properly, and seemed fatigued heading into the final round.

"When he goes back to the corner from the fourth to the fifth, he was a little bit wobbly from tiredness. I felt the same thing, but I rested more than him on the floor. He did a lot of work on the floor."

Final Round Strategy and Fight-Ending Moment

Rosas knew he needed to increase pressure in the fifth round. He believes exhaustion played a major role in Barcelos’ condition.

Regarding any significant strike, Rosas mentioned landing a light punch to the head before launching the takedown that ended the fight.

"I don’t know if that could have done it, because when I went in for the takedown — because my corner told me, ‘Let’s try that.’ When I got ahold of him, he felt so weak, like his body was done. I got even more wind when I went up for the legs, and I got a victory feeling, like I already won the fight. I took him down, and I just knew I got him and would finish him there."

He found it unfortunate that Barcelos was unconscious when he hit the ground but suspects he may have lost consciousness moments before.

"Now that I see he was out before that, I’m like, S***. Maybe that’s why he felt so weak, because he was already out."

Barcelos Leading on Judges' Scorecards

To add to the drama, Barcelos was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards prior to the stoppage, with one judge scoring the fourth round 10-8 in his favor.

Rosas admitted feeling the pressure after that dominant fourth frame.

"I was down going into the fifth, but in my head it was different. I’m fighting, so I’m not watching it from the outside. My mind had a different scoring," he said.

"I honestly thought I was losing the fight going into the fifth for a different reason, because I thought Round 1 I took, Round 2 could have gone either way. I knew three and four were his rounds, so we could potentially be 2-2, but I was like, Either way, if we go to the judges, he’s probably going to win because the fourth round was a 10-8. I knew it was all his round. He did all the work. That’s why, in my head, I had to finish him."

He wanted to avoid leaving the outcome uncertain and aimed to finish decisively in the final round.

Career Impact for Rosas

With this victory, Rosas improves his professional record to 13 wins and 1 loss overall, and 7-1 inside the UFC. This marks his second win against ranked opponents since debuting in the promotion as an 18-year-old in late 2018.