UFC Vegas 121 Results: Rosas Jr Stops Barcelos in Round Five, Rinya Nakamura Suffers First Stoppage Loss

Raul Rosas Jr came through a gruelling five-round war to stop Raoni Barcelos in the main event of UFC Vegas 121 at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas on Saturday night, which was Sunday morning in Malaysia. On the preliminary card, Japan's Rinya Nakamura, a product of the Asia-based Road to UFC programme, was submitted for the first time by Brady Hiestand.

Main event: Rosas Jr def. Barcelos

The bantamweight headliner lived up to its billing. Barcelos, 39, came into his first UFC main event on a five-fight winning streak that included wins over Payton Talbott, Montel Jackson, Ricky Simon and former champion Cody Garbrandt. Rosas Jr, with Marlon "Chito" Vera in his corner, had to dig deep before finding the finish.

Result: Raul Rosas Jr def. Raoni Barcelos by TKO, Round 5, 1:38

The ending was worrying. Barcelos collapsed during a clinch exchange and lay motionless, prompting medical staff to rush into the cage. He was taken out on a stretcher, but the UFC later confirmed that Barcelos was "stable, alert and responsive, with full movement."

The fight earned both men the Fight of the Night bonus.

Nakamura submitted by Hiestand

In a bantamweight bout billed as a clash between The Ultimate Fighter and Road to UFC pathways, TUF 29 finalist Brady Hiestand submitted Rinya Nakamura with a rear-naked choke at 4:07 of the second round.

Nakamura had the better of the first round, landing clean body kicks and hooks, and he stuffed a late Hiestand takedown attempt. In the second, Nakamura had Hiestand pressed against the fence, but the American rolled, took the back, locked in a body triangle and sank the choke. Nakamura tapped with about a minute left in the round, the first time he has been stopped.

Full notable results

• Raul Rosas Jr def. Raoni Barcelos — TKO, R5, 1:38
• Ailin Perez def. Norma Dumont — unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
• Montel Jackson def. Ricky Simon — TKO, R2
• Tina Black def. Melissa Amaya — TKO, R2
• Luis Hernandez def. Sedriques Dumas — submission (standing guillotine), R1, 0:57
• Yazmin Jauregui def. Vanessa Demopoulos — TKO (punches), R1, 1:02
• Brady Hiestand def. Rinya Nakamura — submission (rear-naked choke), R2, 4:07

Tension in the co-main

Ailin Perez took a unanimous decision over Norma Dumont, working behind leg kicks and clinch control. The verdict split opinion, and tempers flared when Dumont continued taunting Perez as the scores were read, with security stepping in.

Bonuses

• Fight of the Night: Raul Rosas Jr and Raoni Barcelos
• Performance of the Night: Luis Hernandez and Yazmin Jauregui

Key takeaways

• Raul Rosas Jr stopped Raoni Barcelos at 1:38 of the fifth round.
• Barcelos was stretchered out but the UFC said he was stable, alert and responsive.
• Rinya Nakamura suffered the first stoppage loss of his career against Brady Hiestand.
• Ailin Perez beat Norma Dumont by unanimous decision in a heated co-main event.
• Luis Hernandez needed just 57 seconds to submit Sedriques Dumas.

FAQ

Who won the UFC Vegas 121 main event? Raul Rosas Jr, by fifth-round TKO against Raoni Barcelos.

How did Rinya Nakamura lose? He was submitted by a rear-naked choke from Brady Hiestand at 4:07 of round two.

Is Raoni Barcelos okay? The UFC said he was stable, alert and responsive with full movement after being taken out on a stretcher.

Sources: Yahoo Sports, Real Combat Media, Cageside Press, Sherdog