UFC Fight Night: Rosas Jr vs. Barcelos DFS Picks & Prop Predictions for Saturday, September 26, 2026

The UFC follows up on an exciting UFC 331 card with another Fight Night on Saturday evening. MMA’s biggest promotion returns to the capital of combat sports for UFC Fight Night: Rosas Jr. vs. Barcelos at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. A bantamweight bout between two top-15-ranked fighters headlines the card. 

Saturday’s 12-fight card includes several bouts featuring ranked fighters, and it could be a fairly competitive event. Let’s break down the best props and DFS picks you need to keep in mind for UFC Fight Night: Rosas Jr. vs. Barcelos.

Rodolfo Vieira vs. Robert Bryczek – Under 1.5 Total Rounds (+105)

Saturday’s co-main event brings together two veteran middleweights with contrasting styles and clear vulnerabilities. Polish fighter Robert Bryczek came to the UFC later in his career with a reputation as a dangerous striker — five straight first-round KOs before joining the promotion. He is just 1-2 in his first three UFC bouts, though he did find a late knockout in his second appearance last year. The 36-year-old has not replicated the form that preceded his UFC debut, but the power is still there, and he could be in a favorable spot against Vieira, who is coming off back-to-back losses.

Vieira will feel he has the clear advantage on the ground, and should, based on his track record. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt carries a 91% finish rate, submitting nine of his 11 opponents in his victories across seven years in the UFC. The Fighting Nerd will know better than to stand and trade with Bryczek and should look to drag this to the mat, where he holds the overwhelming edge. Whichever fighter can impose their style first should be in line for a quick finish in the co-main event.

Montel Jackson vs. Ricky Simón – Montel Jackson by Decision (+150)

Montel Jackson looked like a top bantamweight contender in the making during an impressive run earlier this decade. The 34-year-old stepped up in competition after a six-fight winning streak, taking on Davison Figueiredo late last year. He held his own against one of the division’s best but dropped a split decision. A similar result followed earlier this year against Barcelos — another split decision in a fight he competed well in. The two-fight skid is misleading; Jackson had moments in both but was slightly edged out by the judges on two separate occasions.

Saturday looks like the ideal bounce-back spot. Jackson enters as a heavy favorite with a significant height and reach advantage over Simón. A finish is possible, but Simón has proven remarkably durable across 17 UFC bouts, having been stopped just twice, with his last KO coming in 2023. Jackson should be able to neutralize Simón’s grappling attempts and build enough volume on the feet to earn a clear decision win, leaving nothing to chance after two straight split decision losses. 

Raul Rojas Jr. vs. Raoni Barcelos – Raul Rojas Jr. Over 3.5 Takedowns Landed (+100)

Raul Rojas Jr. could be on the brink of a title shot with a victory over the crafty veteran Barcelos in Saturday’s main card opener. The impressive 21-year-old is now 12-1, riding a five-fight winning streak heading into his first-ever five-round bout. He faces a veteran who has humbled several young prospects and could give Rojas problems if the fight extends into the later rounds. Rojas is notorious for starting strong before slowing down as fights progress, whereas Barcelos tends to find his rhythm the longer he stays in the octagon.

With Rojas well aware of the caliber of fighter across from him, we should see the Mexican international look to impose his will early and often. He has secured at least four takedowns in three of his last four fights, including a whopping 16 in his most recent win over Rob Font. Barcelos’ takedown defense has been elite throughout his UFC career, but a fighter who attempts takedowns at Rojas’ volume will eventually find his way through, especially across five rounds. Rojas is averaging 6.1 takedowns per 15 minutes with a 54% takedown accuracy throughout his young career.

Saturday’s UFC Fight Night: Rosas Jr. vs. Barcelos DFS Picks

Country	Player	Opponent	FPPF	Salary
🇧🇷	Raoni Barcelos	Rosas Jr.	76.8	$7,500
🇺🇸	John Castañeda	Alatengheili	65.7	$9,200
🇧🇷	Rodolfo Bellato	Edwards	63.7	$8,600
🇺🇸	Josiah Harrell	Brener	2.8	$8,200
🇦🇿	Mehemmedeli Osmanli	Akylbek	–	$9,100
🇺🇸	Melissa Amaya	Black	–	$7,300

Raoni Barcelos ($7,500)

We begin our DFS lineup for Saturday with the underdog in the main event, Barcelos, who we touched on in our final prop predictions. The 39-year-old has gone on a remarkable late-career surge, winning his last five fights in a row despite entering as an underdog in four of them. The Brazilian veteran has quite literally defied the odds over and over again, and it is hard to imagine he will not find a way to make this competitive against the youngster on Saturday. Barcelos has shown elite cardio for his age, winning his last four fights by decision, and will push Rojas to the very end if the Mexican international cannot find a quick finish.

John Castaneda ($9,200)

Veteran bantamweight John Castaneda enters Saturday’s card as one of the bigger favorites despite going winless in his last three fights. The former Combate Americas champion should win most of his points on the feet, which is his clearest advantage in this matchup. Neither fighter has shown much grappling prowess in the UFC, and if anything, Castaneda — a former college wrestler — can be somewhat offensive on the ground. Whether the 34-year-old looks to keep this one standing or mix in some control time, he should have a fairly clear path to victory over Alarengheili.

Rodolfo Bellato ($8,600)

Bellato has had an up-and-down start to his UFC career, going 2-1-1 with one no contest across his first five fights. The Brazilian light heavyweight now faces Christian Edwards, who is making his second UFC appearance after an impressive debut that ended in a split-decision defeat. Despite that solid showing, Edwards steps up in class against a dangerous striker in Bellato, who will be feeling confident after picking up a KO win earlier this year. The Brazilian now has eight career knockouts and faces Edwards, who showed a solid enough chin in his debut but is taking his third fight of the year with limited time to recover. Look for Bellato to keep his momentum going against the young UFC newcomer on Saturday.

Josiah Harrell ($8,200)

Harrell arrived in the UFC with plenty of promise, having started his professional career 11-0 with 10 finishes. The 27-year-old lightweight was immediately humbled in his debut, losing by first-round KO to Jacobe Smith back in February. He returns to action for the first time since then as a slight favorite over veteran Elves Brener, who comes in on a three-fight losing streak. This looks like the perfect opportunity for Harrell to remind everyone why the UFC signed him earlier this year. He may struggle to finish the notoriously durable Brener, but should rack up plenty of points with a versatile style that can do damage both on the feet and on the ground.

Mahammadali Osmanli ($9,100)

One of the night’s most exciting matchups features two young bantamweight prospects from Asian nations making their UFC debuts. We’re backing Azerbaijan native Mahammadali Osmanli, who is heavily favored mainly because of his finishing ability. The 22-year-old enters the UFC with a 12-1 record, finishing 10 of his 12 victories. Both fighters have shown an elite ground game early in their careers, combining for 14 submission wins between them. Osmanli holds the clear striking advantage, and Akylbek has shown some chin vulnerability earlier in his career — the Kyrgyzstan native has been knocked out in all three of his losses, and Osmanli certainly has the power to add another in his promotional debut.

Melissa Amaya ($7,300)

The final fighter in our lineup is another UFC debutant, Melissa Amaya, who takes on fellow newcomer Tina Black. Amaya arrives in the promotion with a perfect 8-0 record and has built a reputation for her toughness and relentless fighting style. The 31-year-old has finished five of her eight opponents but enters as a slight underdog given the power she will face on Saturday. Black brings far more combat experience to the table, finally getting her UFC shot after more than 10 years as a professional fighter. While Black will likely outperform Amaya in volume, the American still has the tools to pull off an upset and is more versatile in countering the Brazilian’s striking game.

Photo Credit: REUTERS