History was made by Raul Rosas Jr securing the youngest person to sign with the UFC.
The 17-year-old bantamweight made history on Tuesday when he signed a full-time contract with the organisation following his victory over Mando Gutierrez in the co-main event of the Contender Series at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
The ‘Problem Child’ out-grappled Mando Gutierrez (7-2) in each of the three rounds and displayed a creative fighting style, coming close to pulling off a Suloev stretch attempt in Round 1 and finishing off his 25-year-old opponent in Round 2 with a particularly beautiful sequence after a faked flying knee. It was a strong overall performance that suggested Rosas Jr. (6-0) would soon become a major force in the UFC.
At the end, the contest received 30-27 in total scores from all three judges.
“There was nothing to even discuss. We didn’t even talk about it back there… I’ve never seen anything like it,” stated UFC president Dana White.
“He’s absolutely positively talented, he’s special, he’s different. At 17 years old, you just don’t see kids that age handle themselves like that.”
“Since I was born, I knew this was going to happen, so everybody should not be surprised,” Rosas Jr. said. “I’m the new king in here, so I’m coming for that belt now.”
Rosas Jr. ended his night by promising to capture a UFC championship by the age of twenty.
This young-man clearly has a bright future ahead of him and with the ring name ‘Problem Child’, it is most certainly fitting.
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