Las Vegas, NV — The youngest fighter in UFC history (he signed with the promotion as a fresh-faced 17-year old), Raul Rosas Jr. learned a valuable lesson last time out.
Rosas, who had been steamrolling grown men for years, finally met some adversity in his sophomore trip to the UFC octagon. The Contender Series alum wound up dropping a decision against Christian Rodriguez in April, falling to 1-1 under the UFC banner.
That has the youngster putting the time in, working to improve. With no one specific focus.
“Everything. I’m always working on everything. My striking, my wrestling, my grappling. Every single detail I f*cked up in the fight, which, there was a lot,” Rosas Jr. told Cageside Press in a recent interview as part of International Fight Week’s UFC X. “There’s always something to learn, always for me to evolve and make it to the next level.”
As far as that next fight, while nothing has been announced, “they’re working on it, so I should have fight news coming soon,” Rosas Jr. revealed. “I should be stepping in there this year again, so I can’t wait to get back in there and prove it to myself, to be who I say I am and just put on a show for the people.”
With the Contender Series spinning back up again shortly, Raul Rosas Jr. gave his advice for those set to appear on the show this year.
“Just show up and perform. If you believe you can be here in the UFC, then f*ck it. Just go out there, train hard, do all your best and get that finish.”
When it comes to his fighting career, it’s key to remember that Rosas Jr. is still a young man just getting started not just in fighting but in life. He still lives at home, like many 18-year olds. He doesn’t have his own ride yet — though he’s used his winnings to help his mother out on that front.
How does the family deal with their budding star? “They just support me, they go along with it. We knew this was going to happen, so we’re all in this together and we just support each other.”
Watch our full interview with Raul Rosas Jr. above.
