WATCH Video: Raoni Barcelos Knocked Unconscious, Stretchered Out After Scary UFC Vegas 121 Finish | What Happened?

UFC fighter Raoni Barcelos was stretchered out of the octagon after suffering a frightening fifth-round TKO loss to Raul Rosas Jr. during Saturday (Sep 26)’s UFC Fight Night main event in Las Vegas. The 39-year-old Brazilian appeared to lose consciousness following a takedown, prompting referee Herb Dean to immediately stop the bantamweight contest and medical staff to rush into the cage. Barcelos was then carefully taken away from the octagon on a stretcher.

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The incident occurred during the final round of Barcelos’ bout against Raul Rosas Jr. Rosas Jr. secured a takedown before Barcelos suddenly went limp, raising immediate concerns among those at ringside. Referee Herb Dean stopped the fight without hesitation as medical personnel entered the octagon to attend to the Brazilian fighter.

A video shared by sports medicine physician Dr Jesse Morse showed Barcelos lying limp on a stretcher as medical staff wheeled him away from the octagon. Morse noted that the exact cause of the incident was unclear but raised concerns about a possible head or neck injury, suggesting that Barcelos may have hit his head on the mat during the takedown.

Early reports indicated that Barcelos was conscious after the incident. UFC reporter Ariel Helwani reported that the Brazilian was able to speak and move his fingers and toes while receiving medical evaluation at a local Las Vegas hospital.

Sportsnet reported that Barcelos subsequently underwent a CT scan. Helwani later reported that Barcelos had come out of the scan and was able to speak and move his body, although the results were still awaited. The UFC has not announced a detailed medical diagnosis or confirmed the extent of his injuries.

The footage shared by Dr Jesse Morse showed Barcelos being carried away from the octagon on a stretcher following the stoppage. The video captured the medical response after the veteran fighter appeared to lose consciousness following the takedown sequence.

Barcelos entered the fight as the No. 13-ranked fighter in the UFC bantamweight division. The Brazilian had a 22-6 professional record before facing Rosas Jr. and was regarded as one of the experienced competitors in the division.

Aditya Pimpale is a sports journalist currently working with News X, with previous experience at WION, India TV and India Today. With a keen interest in cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis and other major sporting disciplines, he brings a versatile perspective to sports journalism. Aditya has extensive on-ground reporting experience, having covered multiple IPL seasons, including the 2025 and 2026 finals from the stadium. He also covered the 2026 T20 World Cup from the ground, including the final in Ahmedabad. His work focuses on breaking news, match reports, analysis, interviews, features, sports trends and engaging digital storytelling.