Fight Matrix

UFC Fight Night 289: Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Raoni Barcelos

Posted on September 22, 2026 by Vitaliy Vovk

September 26, 2026 | UFC Apex, Las Vegas, United States

[#22BW] [#12UFC] Raul Rosas Jr. (12-1-0) vs. [#20BW] [#13UFC] Raoni Barcelos (22-5-0)

The main event of UFC Fight Night 289 features one of the UFC’s most promising young contenders against one of the bantamweight division’s most experienced veterans. Ranked No. 12 and No. 13 in the UFC rankings, Raul Rosas Jr. and Raoni Barcelos enter this pivotal matchup riding five-fight winning streaks, with a potential Top-10 position at stake.

Tale of the Matchup

At just 21 years old, Raul Rosas Jr. (12-1) has already emerged as one of the most dangerous grapplers in the division. The Mexican-American prospect has earned six submission victories and built his success around relentless wrestling pressure, aggressive scrambling, and dominant top control. UFC Fight Night 289 will mark the first main event appearance and first scheduled five-round contest of his professional career.

Standing across from him will be 39-year-old Brazilian veteran Raoni Barcelos (22-5), one of the division’s most technically complete fighters. Barcelos combines sharp boxing, strong takedown defense, and elite grappling credentials. During his current five-fight winning streak, he has scored victories over notable opponents including Cody Garbrandt, Ricky Simon, and Montel Jackson.

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Fight Matrix Program – UFC Fight Night: Rosas Jr. vs. Barcelos (09-26-2026)

Posted on September 21, 2026 by Jason

Bantamweight (135)
[#20][#15UFC] Raoni Barcelos (22-5-0, +154) vs. [#22][#17UFC] Raul Rosas Jr. (12-1-0, -186)

Last 3 Fights: Raoni Barcelos (3-0-0)
2026-04-25: W vs. [#24BW] Montel Jackson (15-4-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2025-11-08: W vs. [#46BW] Ricky Simon (22-7-1) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2025-06-14: W vs. [#66BW] Cody Garbrandt (15-8-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Raul Rosas Jr. (3-0-0)
2026-03-07: W vs. [#26BW] Rob Font (22-10-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2025-03-29: W vs. [#183BW] Vince Morales (16-11-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2024-09-14: W vs. [#172BW] Qileng Aori (28-14-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

System	Favorite	Rating	Rating Diff	Win %
Betting Odds	Raul Rosas Jr.	-186		62.28%
Elo K170	Raoni Barcelos	1998.41	+187.39	74.63%
Elo Modified	Raoni Barcelos	1953.75	+157.66	71.25%
Glicko-1	Raoni Barcelos	1983.76	+176.94	73.47%
WHR	Raoni Barcelos	1854.84	+157.21	71.19%

Fighter Ages on Fight Day: Raoni Barcelos 39.4, Raul Rosas Jr. 21.9
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Raoni Barcelos 154, Raul Rosas Jr. 203
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Middleweight (185)
[#61][#39UFC] Robert Bryczek (18-7-0, -102) vs. [#78][#47UFC] Rodolfo Vieira (11-5-0, -116)

Last 3 Fights: Robert Bryczek (1-2-0)
2026-05-02: L vs. [#40MW] Cameron Rowston (15-3-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2025-09-06: W vs. [#64MW] Brad Tavares (21-12-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:43 of round 3
2024-02-10: L vs. [#100LHW] Ihor Potieria (26-8-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Rodolfo Vieira (1-2-0)
2026-04-25: L vs. [#95MW] Eric McConico (11-5-1) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2025-11-15: L vs. [#22MW] Bo Nickal (9-1-0) via KO (Head Kick) in 2:24 of round 3
2025-08-02: W vs. [#28MW] Tresean Gore (7-4-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

System	Favorite	Rating	Rating Diff	Win %
Betting Odds	Rodolfo Vieira	-116		51.53%
Elo K170	Robert Bryczek	1551.57	+91.85	62.92%
Elo Modified	Robert Bryczek	1582.81	+69.09	59.82%
Glicko-1	Robert Bryczek	1658.41	+162.83	71.85%
WHR	Robert Bryczek	1559.11	+39.53	55.66%

Fighter Ages on Fight Day: Robert Bryczek 36.2, Rodolfo Vieira 37.0
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Robert Bryczek 147, Rodolfo Vieira 154
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Bantamweight (135)
[#81][#39UFC] Rinya Nakamura (10-1-0, -334) vs. [*] Brady Hiestand (8-2-0, +257)

Last 3 Fights: Rinya Nakamura (2-1-0)
2025-08-02: W vs. [#144BW] Nathan Fletcher (11-3-0) via TKO (Body Kick and Punches) in 1:02 of round 1
2025-01-18: L vs. [#54BW] Muin Gafurov (21-7-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2024-02-17: W vs. [*] Carlos Vera (12-4-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Last 3 Fights: Brady Hiestand (3-0-0)
2024-06-15: W vs. [*] Garrett Armfield (10-5-0) via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) in 1:52 of round 3
2023-04-22: W vs. [*] Batgerel Danaa (11-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:21 of round 3
2022-11-19: W vs. [*] Fernie Garcia (10-5-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

System	Favorite	Rating	Rating Diff	Win %
Betting Odds	Rinya Nakamura	-334		73.31%
Elo K170	Rinya Nakamura	1643.38	+31.81	54.56%
Elo Modified	Rinya Nakamura	1687.42	+76.72	60.86%
Glicko-1	Rinya Nakamura	1727.18	+87.98	62.40%
WHR	Rinya Nakamura	1636.93	+102.56	64.35%

Fighter Ages on Fight Day: Rinya Nakamura 31.5, Brady Hiestand 27.4
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Rinya Nakamura 420, Brady Hiestand 833
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 1 win(s) against common opposition.
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Featured Upcoming Bouts (Outside of UFC)

Thursday, December 31st 2026: Rizin FF New Years Eve Event

[#5 FW] Rajabali Shaidullaev

[#17 FW] Kyoma Akimoto

Last Fight Date: 9/10/2026 [Rizin Fighting Federation]
Last Opponent: [#7 FW] A.J. McKee
Last 5: W W W W W

Last Fight Date: 8/11/2026 [Rizin Fighting Federation]
Last Opponent: [#27 FW] Kleber Koike Erbst
Last 5: W W W W W

Saturday, November 14th 2026: PFL Dubai: Nemkov vs. Bilostenniy

[#6 HW] Vadim Nemkov

[#16 HW] Sergey Bilostenniy

Last Fight Date: 12/13/2025 [PFL]
Last Opponent: [#20 HW] Renan Ferreira
Last 5: W W W W W

Last Fight Date: 5/02/2026 [PFL]
Last Opponent: [#20 HW] Renan Ferreira
Last 5: W W L W W

Saturday, December 19th 2026: Professional Fighters League PFL Lyon 2026: Lapilus vs. McKee

[#14 BW] Mitchell McKee

[#29 BW] Taylor Lapilus

Last Fight Date: 4/11/2026 [PFL]
Last Opponent: [#15 BW] Sergio Pettis
Last 5: W W W W W

Last Fight Date: 5/23/2026 [PFL]
Last Opponent: [#128 BW] Jake Hadley
Last 5: W W W W W

Featured Fighters

[#100 W125]	Lucero Acosta	[#11 WW]	Mike Malott
[#1 WW]	Islam Makhachev	[#12 WW]	Joaquin Buckley
[#1 FW]	Alexander Volkanovski	[#44 LHW]	Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev
[#233 WW]	Oualy Tandia	[#2 LW]	Ilia Topuria
[#22 BW]	Farid Basharat	[#90 LW]	Cristian Perez

Eccentric Aging - Aging and Caregiver Resources

A First-Timer’s Guide to Attending a UFC Event

Posted on September 21, 2026 by A. J. Riot

Watching the UFC on television is one thing. Sitting inside the arena when the walkout music hits and the crowd rises to its feet is something else entirely. If you’ve booked tickets for your first live event, or you’re thinking about it, there’s a fair bit that isn’t obvious until you’ve actually been through the doors. This guide covers what to expect and the small details that make the difference between a stressful night and a brilliant one.

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Emails and Notifications From Online Casinos: What to Keep and What to Switch Off

Posted on September 21, 2026 by A. J. Riot

A month after signing up somewhere, most people end up with a daily offer sitting in their inbox, a few pop-ups on their phone, and the occasional morning text about a bonus they never asked for. Buried in that pile are the messages that carry weight: a deposit confirmation, an alert about a login, a document request that is quietly holding up a withdrawal.

Most guidance on this subject amounts to blocking everything and being done with it, which suits someone walking away from gambling altogether rather than someone who plays now and then and wants a calmer phone. What follows sorts the traffic into two groups, explains which messages earn their place, and shows where each switch is hidden, since they are almost never in the same menu.

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MMA Rankings vs Betting Odds: Why the Numbers Tell Different Stories

Posted on September 21, 2026 by A. J. Riot

A fighter can sit higher in a ranking and still appear as the underdog in a particular matchup. That is not automatically a contradiction. The two numbers are answering different questions.

A ranking places fighters in an order under a defined method. Betting odds are prices attached to a specific event and set of terms. Neither should be mistaken for a guaranteed prediction.

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How Artificial Intelligence Is Used in Modern Football

Posted on September 21, 2026 by A. J. Riot

Football has come a long way from just being the game with twenty-two players chasing a ball. Expectations have changed now. Look in the streets of Djibouti City on Champions League night. You will see it. This is what is out there these days. Thousands of men debating formations, checking odds, and streaming matches through connections that barely hold up. Behind every stat flashing on those screens, a layer of artificial intelligence runs the show — and we may have no idea how deep it goes.

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Why Personalized Sports Content Is Becoming the New Standard

Posted on September 21, 2026 by A. J. Riot

Fans are no longer satisfied with generic sports content. They expect sports news and coverage tailored to their specific interests, and platforms increasingly understand what different supporters prefer, including the news, sports content, teams, and statistics they want to follow. To understand this phenomenon, it is worth examining the trends pushing personalized sports content to the forefront.

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How Mobile Internet Has Changed Sports Fans’ Habits

Posted on September 21, 2026 by A. J. Riot

You no longer have to sit in front of a television to watch sports. The way people interact with sports has changed completely because of mobile internet. Sports fans can now take the action with them wherever they go, with statistics, scores, and updates available directly on their mobile devices. To understand this transformation, it is worth examining how smartphones have changed fan behavior.

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Ilia Topuria Accuses Justin Gaethje of Cheating. The Regulator Says the Gloves Were Clean.

Posted on September 21, 2026 by Andrew Carswell

Three months after suffering the first loss of his career and sustaining fractures to both orbital bones at UFC Freedom 250, Ilia Topuria is medically cleared and ready to return. But his comeback announcement came with an explosive accusation against Justin Gaethje, a sharp denial from the lightweight champion, and an official response from one of the regulators who inspected Gaethje’s gloves and wraps before the fight.

Ilia Topuria disappeared from competition carrying something he had never experienced before: a professional defeat. When he finally resurfaced three months after the beating that cost him the UFC lightweight championship, his message was not simply that his injuries had healed or that he was ready to fight again. Topuria returned with an allegation that immediately changed the conversation surrounding one of the biggest fights of the year, suggesting that the gloves Justin Gaethje wore during their championship fight deserved another look.

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Current MMA Rankings Updated (09-20-2026)

Posted on September 20, 2026 by Jason