Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Raoni Barcelos set for UFC Vegas 121

Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Raoni Barcelos has just been announced for UFC Vegas 121, where the two men will face each other in a bout that will pit two long win streaks against one another.

Raul Rosas Jr. returns against Raoni Barcelos

The UFC just announced Raul Rosas Jr.'s next bout. He will return to headline UFC Vegas 121 against Raoni Barcelos in a matchup that will massively impact both men's bantamweight trajectories. The bout was previously the subject of rumor, but will now mark one of the toughest in Rosas Jr.'s career. The 21-year-old prospect is currently on an impressive five-fight win streak, having most recently beaten 32-fight veteran Rob Font via unanimous decision at UFC 326. He is currently unranked by the Meta UFC rankings, while the media panel has him at #12 in the bantamweight division.

However, just three years ago, Rosas Jr. was an undefeated star, at 7-0. There was talk of him being a future UFC champion, and he himself was aiming to dethrone Jon Jones as the promotion's youngest-ever champion. He was so confident, in fact, that he claimed he could beat the then bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling, who is widely regarded as one of the greatestt 135-pounders in history. Unfortunately for Rosas Jr., he was given a reality check at UFC 287, where Christian Rodriguez tested his gas tank and beat him via unanimous decision, handing him his first professional loss.

Barcelos, by contrast, is not a prospect in his early twenties. He is a 39-year-old combat sports veteran, who has, nevertheless, been on an excellent run, having won five consecutive fights himself. One of the fighters he has beaten in that purple patch is Cody Garbrandt, an ex-bantamweight champion, who he defeated via unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN 69. Another fighter he's beaten is Payton Talbott, a high-potential prospect just like Rosas Jr. The two squared off at UFC 311, where Barcelos won via unanimous decision. 

Now, he is ranked #8 by Meta UFC, and #13 by the media panel. A win over Rosas Jr. would help elevate him further, especially at this stage in his career, where a single loss could be disastrous. For Rosas Jr., however, it is one step closer to cracking the top 10 and beginning the title challenging charge he believes he is destined for.