Las Vegas, NV — Featherweight Charles Rosa (13-4) was eager to put the taste of his last loss behind him.
“The first thing I did when I got back from the last fight against Bryce Mitchel is I went in the gym I told my manager Jason House, and the owner of American Top Team, Dan Lambert, I said ‘hey, listen, if anything comes up, I just need seven to ten days to make weight,” Rosa told media members during the UFC on ESPN 10 post-fight press conference.
The Mitchell fight came at UFC 249 in May, which marked the start of the UFC’s return to action after a pause due to the coronavirus pandemic. For Rosa, however, the event was a speed bump, with Mitchell dominating him on the ground.
Flash forward to UFC on ESPN 10. Rosa was back in action, this time against Kevin Aguilar. With very different results — a split decision win for Rosa, it a hotly contested fight.
“The only way to come back from an L is to get a W and I was able to do that tonight, so I’m super happy,” the Massachusetts native went on to say.
Now, after beating a “super tough” opponent who Rosa sees as one of the top twenty guys on the planet, it’s on to the next one. Rosa isn’t looking for any time off.
“I would love to keep fighting. That’s what I do. I’m a true fighter,” said Rosa. “When I was an amateur fighter, I fought 20 amateur fights and I won all the fights fighting throughout the country. I was a top amateur in the country and I was fighting every weekend. And that’s what I love to do.”
“I kind of want to get back to the love of it. I hate waiting six, seven months to fight sometimes, it’s really tough and it’s a lot of stress,” he added. So once the stitches he picked up Saturday come out and Rosa is healed up, he plans on getting right back to work.
As for Saturday’s fight, aside from the empty venue, which Rosa has now experienced twice between the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena and the UFC Apex, there was another curve ball. The Apex has been using the smaller UFC octagon — the 25 foot version. Some fighters have commented on the difference, but Rosa paid it no mind.
“I don’t even notice the cage man. I’m a fighter. I just go in there and I go to war and that’s it,” he said. “I mean, my coaches were telling me it’s a small cage, small cage, but for me, it makes no difference.”
Watch the full UFC on ESPN 10 post-fight press conference with Charles Rosa above!
