Some good news has emerged following a terrifying end to UFC Vegas 121.
Thankfully, the first update on the 39-year-old Brazilian appears to be positive.
According to Brazilian UFC correspondent Evelyn Rodrigues, Barcelos is awake and conscious after being transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. At the time of publication, UFC has not released an official statement regarding Barcelos’ condition or revealed exactly what happened to the veteran Bantamweight.
That is particularly important because this was anything but a conventional knockout.
After nearly 22 minutes of an incredible back-and-forth fight, Rosas secured a takedown along the fence midway through the fifth round — within seconds, Barcelos was unconscious.
Rosas immediately recognized something was wrong, stopped fighting and alerted referee Herb Dean.
Barcelos remained motionless on the canvas as medical personnel rushed into the Octagon, creating an incredibly uncomfortable scene inside the Apex. He was eventually placed onto a stretcher and carried out of the cage before being transported to the hospital.
Even after multiple replays, it was difficult to determine exactly what caused Barcelos to lose consciousness. UFC officially awarded Rosas the knockout victory at 1:38 of the fifth round.
“Please pray for Raoni Barcelos,” Rosas said following the fight.
It was a frightening conclusion to what had been an outstanding performance from both Bantamweights.
In fact, Barcelos entered the fifth round ahead on all three judges’ scorecards, meaning Rosas needed a finish to win the fight. The 21-year-old ultimately got one, extending his winning streak to six and picking up the biggest victory of his young career.
None of that felt particularly important in the immediate aftermath, though.
For now, the most encouraging news is that Barcelos is reportedly conscious and receiving medical attention.
MMA Mania will provide additional updates on Barcelos’ condition as they become available.
For complete UFC Vegas 121 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.