Las Vegas, NV — Although he stormed back into the win column in under a minute at Noche UFC on Saturday, teenage phenom Raul Rosas Jr. was prepared to go the distance against Terrance Mitchell.
“I for sure visualized the fight going three rounds,” Rosas (8-1) told media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. “I was prepared for every scenario.”
While his killer instinct was clearly front and center in the fight, Rosas said he was calm throughout a ferocious ground sequence that saw him pummel Mitchell with ground n’ pound.
“When I dropped him, I knew I had to go for the finish, but I was also relaxed. In case he survived, I was ready to put on a beating and just keep showing my skills.”
Much was made of Rosas suffering the first loss of his professional career earlier this year. Questions about whether the 18-year old could cut it in the UFC ran rampant after his three-round decision defeat against Christian Rodriguez.
For Rosas, however, the key was to make the corrections and rely on his team. The mission meanwhile has not changed.
“Nothing’s changed, nothing’s never going to change. We’re never going to break,” exclaimed Rosas. “All the corrections were made, you all saw the corrections. I’ve got a team right here that tells me the truth, whether I win or lose, they’re going to tell me how bad I sucked, all the mistakes I did. This camp, we made sure we did everything right, and I’m just going to keep improving, showing up and chasing my dream.”
The Mexican bantamweight added that there was no self-doubt as to whether he had arrived in the UFC too soon.
“Never had any doubts, never had any doubts on my skills,” Rosas stated. “The only thing that loss changed was my record, and tonight I showed that nothing has changed.”
Everyone from WWE’s Rey Mysterio to UFC superstar Conor McGregor were singing Raul Rosas Jr.’s praises following the fight. The youngster believes his ceiling is high enough that he could one day ascend to orbit alongside such stars.
“I’m different. I have the potential to be a superstar, break all these records. I’m blessed. 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.”
Watch the full Noche UFC post-fight press conference with Raul Rosas Jr. above.
