Athletes
Raul Rosas Jr. | From Prospect To Contender
After Making History As The Youngest Fighter To Sign For The UFC, Raul Rosas Jr. Plans To Force Himself Into Contention With A Big Win In His First UFC Main Event.
Ever since Raul Rosas Jr. burst into the UFC, he’s been tipped for the top. And now, after just seven fights in the Octagon, the 21-year-old Mexican finds himself in a UFC main event. Rosas Jr. will take on Brazilian veteran Raoni Barcelos in a battle of the generations, with the 21-year-old set to take on a man 18 years his elder in an important matchup for the UFC bantamweight division.
It’s an opportunity that has come to Rosas Jr. after his hard work in the gym has helped him to a 6-1 record under the UFC banner. Now he’s ready to step up and show that he belongs in the main event spotlight.
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“It feels good, you know,” he said. “I was very excited, because it's a nice opportunity for me to shine once again. So I just thank God for giving me the opportunity to show my skillset at a good stage.”
Back in September 2022, 17-year-old Rosas Jr. became the youngest athlete to earn a UFC contract when he defeated Mando Gutierrez on Dana White’s Contender Series. He then set a new record for the youngest fighter to compete in the UFC when he submitted Jay Perrin in the first round at UFC 282 three months later.
A decision loss to Christian Rodriguez followed at UFC 287, but since then, Rosas Jr. has been on point, finishing Terrence Mitchell via TKO and submitting Ricky Turcios before registering successive decision victories over Aoriqileng, Vince Morales and, most recently, Rob Font.
That run of form has seen Rosas Jr. elevated into the UFC’s media rankings, with “El Niño Problema” sitting in 12th place in the media-voted ranking list heading into this weekend’s bout.
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“I'm proud of myself,” he said. “And I'm always thankful to God for helping me achieve all these things that I've done in the sport, and in my career with my family and everything around me.”
When he first arrived in the UFC, all the talk about Rosas Jr. focused on his age and potential. But now, the conversation has shifted as Rosas Jr. has started to get credit for his performances, and the progression to contender status seems to be well underway.
Full Fight | Raul Rosas Jr. vs Jay Perrin
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Full Fight | Raul Rosas Jr. vs Jay Perrin
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Despite that shift, Rosas Jr. said he’s not too worried about how he’s perceived. Instead, he’s appointed himself as the arbiter of how well he’s doing. And his constant desire to get better from fight to fight ensures that he won’t rest on his laurels as he continues to climb the bantamweight ladder.
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“As far as that, I'm not really concerned, to be honest, as long as I'm happy with myself and happy with my performances,” he said. “Honestly, I would have liked to finish [Rob Font], but it helps me improve, and I'm doing it at a stage where I'm young, and I'm having to adjust and learn from these fights at a big stage. So I'm proud of myself to be able to be doing it at this level… Obviously I would have liked a better outcome, but I'm still happy with how I was able to handle Rob Font. Yeah, I grappled him for three rounds, but it’s not easy to do that, you know, so I’m proud of myself.
“I was very happy that I felt good in there. My conditioning felt good for 15 minutes. My mentality was good. On the feet, as long as it lasted, I felt good. Movement was good. I saw everything coming [and] felt relaxed. So, I felt like I just look like I belong there, you know? So, I'm happy for myself.”
After passing his three-round test against a seasoned veteran like Font, Rosas Jr. faces a new challenge on Saturday night as he gets ready for the first five-round fight of his career. The change in duration means the bout goes from three five-minute sprints to more of a marathon session, with the extra two rounds often where the fight ends up being won.
“It's different managing a five-round fight for sure,” he said. “And I'm excited to go in there for the first time for five rounds, and it makes me more excited if it does go to the fourth and fifth rounds, because I'm starting to get used to this as the championship fights are coming.”
Rosas Jr. has had the added benefit of Marlon Vera joining his camp, with “Chito” joining forces with Rosas Jr. as they helped each other prepare for their respective matchups. Vera snapped his losing streak with a hard-earned victory over Charles Jourdain at UFC 331. Now, it’s Rosas Jr.’s turn.
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“I'm very happy for him, for sure, and all the work that he put in, you know? He grinded his ass off,” he said. “I'm happy for him to see him win, and in spectacular fashion against a not-easy opponent. So, just having him on the mats and being able to also pick his brain because he's been in there in main events, five rounds. So, it helps me a lot [and] I'm thankful for him, too.”
Raul Rosas Jr. "I Want To Figure Out What His Grappling Is About" | UFC Fight Night: Rosas Jr. vs Barcelos
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Raul Rosas Jr. "I Want To Figure Out What His Grappling Is About" | UFC Fight Night: Rosas Jr. vs Barcelos
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With Vera getting the win last weekend, all the team’s focus now turns to Rosas Jr., who faces veteran operator Barcelos at the Meta APEX on Saturday night.
“He's a very tough opponent, very experienced guy,” he said. “To be honest, I think he's the toughest opponent I've faced so far, and that's what makes it exciting for me, because I'm willing to go out there and figure it out… I think he's gonna bring new things out of me and the best version out of me. So, I'm excited to see what happens Saturday night… I wanna figure out what his grappling's about. Wrestling, he's done good wrestling. I have five rounds to try to finish him, because he's hard to finish. Even when he gets dropped, he just gets back up. So I'm excited to go in there and try for myself.”
Rosas Jr. is steadily making his way up the bantamweight ladder, and there are some potentially massive fights just around the corner for him if he can get the win he’s chasing this weekend. It’s just down to Rosas Jr. to step into the Octagon and deliver, just like he has over his last five fights.
“I want to do whatever [it takes] to get my hand raised Saturday night, and we're both on five-fight win streaks, so I know that people know it's not an easy opponent,” Rosas Jr. said. “The UFC knows, and I think it'll open up a lot of doors for me.”
UFC 332: Silva vs Wang took place live from Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 3, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!