Teen phenom Raul Rosas Jr. believes he could become the UFC’s next big thing.
On Saturday night, Rosas Jr. got back into the win column in a big way after suffering his first career setback in April against Christian Rodriguez. Stepping into the Octagon for the promotion’s critically acclaimed Noche UFC card inside the T-Mobile Arena, Rosas Jr. scored a vicious 54-second knockout of Alaska native Terrence Mitchell.
It was a big moment for the 18-year-old fighter who walked into the bout determined to shake off the nerves left over from his underwhelming performance at UFC 287 earlier this year. Following the event, Rosas Jr. addressed members of the media during the post-fight press event and made it very clear that his goal was to become one of the biggest stars in UFC history.
“I’m different so I have the potential to be a superstar and break all these records,” Rosas Jr. said. “I’m blessed with… I’m just being myself and I’m blessed that I am the way I am and I know I have the potential to be one of the biggest superstars in this company.”
Raul Rosas Jr. believes in his superstar potential. #NocheUFC
Full: https://t.co/xzN8HYTe5I pic.twitter.com/gd4WOPRaXv
— MMA Mania (@mmamania) September 17, 2023
Raul Rosas Jr. is Content to Take Things One Step at a Time
As for the records he hopes to break, Rosas Jr. remained coy but added that right now, his only goal is to return to the Octagon and deliver another epic performance.
“I just gotta live day-by-day. Focus on one goal and then go after another,” Rosas Jr. added. “Right now, it’s just come back and have another amazing performance, climb up the ladder, and go from there.”
Earning an impressive win over Mando Gutierrez on Dana White’s Contender Series when he was just 17, Rosas Jr. made his promotional debut at UFC 282, earning a stunning first-round submission over Jay Perrin. It was then that fight fans realized that ‘El Niño Problema’ was for real.
Rosas Jr. followed up his stellar debut with a not-so-stellar showing in his sophomore appearance and suffered the first loss of his career. But as any veteran fighter will tell you, it’s not how you lose, it’s how you come back from a loss. It’s safe to say that Rosas Jr. couldn’t have asked for a better performance following his lone defeat.
You can watch Raul Rosas Jr.’s full post-fight interview below:
