Raul Rosas Jr. wants to etch his name in the UFC history books as the youngest champion to ever do it.
Breaking ‘Bones’ Record
Jon Jones has held onto that record since 2011, when he became the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion at the age of 23 years old and 8 months. Nobody’s really come close to breaking the record other than a 22 year-old Rose Namajunas, who fell short of that, being submitted by Carla Esparza in 2014.
However, we do have another candidate to surpass Jones and that’s the UFC youngest fighter ever in 19 year-old Rosas Jr. Signed to the UFC at 17 years old, “El Niño Problema” has went 3-1 in the promotion with his latest win coming over “The Ultimate Fighter” season 29 champion Ricky Turcios, by way of submission last weekend at UFC Louisville.
A little less than four years to go from his 23rd birthday, Rosas Jr. believes he’s on the correct path to break ‘Bones’ record.
“Yeah, I agree,” Rosas Jr. said, when asked if becoming the UFC’s youngest champ was a real possibility on ‘The MMA Hour‘. “I think it’s always been there. I mean, I did take that loss and it did set me back a little bit, but I knew I was gonna be back and it was nothing.”
Rosas Jr’s only career loss came to fellow prospect Christian Rodriguez in Apr. 2023, a setback the 19 year-old has since bounced back from with two-straight finishes.
Career Trajectory
What exactly does the timeline for UFC gold look like for the Mexican young gun from Santa Rosa, California? Well, Rosas Jr. still doesn’t have a ranking next to his name in the stacked bantamweight division, but hopes to fight against a contender soon to prove he belongs with the best, regardless of his age.
“It depends. S***, Let me see. If I get another fight this year… I’m thinking if I win, if I’m not, I don’t get a top 15 next. I think winning the next fight will get me a top 15 and then fighting like three fights in the top 15. So probably like two, three years. I think it’ll take me,” Rosas Jr. said of when he’ll reach title contention.
“It is [a big goal]. I mean, that’s always been the main goal, but we got what, 19, 20, 21, 22? I got four years to break it. So, I think I can make it happen.”
It’s a massive goal indeed to break Jon Jones’ arguably most impressive record, but someone has to do it (or at least attempt to), right? Rosas Jr. made UFC history while still in high school, so well if he break another record in what would have been his college years.
