Raul Rosas Jr. cracks UFC bantamweight top 10 after Raoni Barcelos win
Raul Rosas Jr. cracks the UFC bantamweight top 10 after his impressive win over veteran Raoni Barcelos at UFC Vegas 121.
UFC Vegas 121 went down this past Saturday at Meta Apex in Vegas. In the headliner, 21-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. squared off against 39-year-old Raoni Barcelos. Despite the significant age gap, both fighters went toe-to-toe and delivered a war of a fight for the UFC fans.
That said, the ending to the fight left fans worried, as Rosas took down Barcelos in the fifth round, and the Brazilian was left unconscious and stretchered out of the octagon directly to the hospital. With that, Rosas Jr. secured a TKO victory in his first main event.
Raul Rosas Jr. officially ranked No. 8 in UFC bantamweight division
Following his victory over Barcelos, Rosas Jr. has now entered the UFC bantamweight Top 10 at No. 8, according to the latest UFC rankings shown in the promotion's post on Instagram.
The new ranking puts Rosas Jr. alongside some of the division's established names, marking a significant step forward for the young contender.
Now, Rosas Jr., with the victory at UFC Vegas 121, has extended his win streak to six, and one or two more victories in dominant fashion could put him right into title contention.
'El Nino Problema' wants to become the youngest UFC champion by breaking Jon Jones' record of 23 years and 243 days. It can be said that the American-Mexican is on the right path to make his dream a reality.
Interestingly, he has also mentioned that he doesn't want to stay in the sport for too long and plans to retire early after achieving his goals in the UFC.
Raul Rosas Jr. reveals ambitious UFC career plan that could see him retire at 25
In an interview with Full Send MMA, Rosas Jr. expressed that he wants to achieve the UFC belt, defend the title a couple of times, and then hang up his gloves at 25 years old.
“If by 25 I’ve accomplished everything I want then I’m gonna step back from the sport. The goal is to get the belt, defend it a couple times then go up a weight class, maybe two,” Rosas Jr. said.
Check out Raul Rosas Jr.'s comments below:
Rosas Jr. has already set a record as the youngest fighter to be signed by the UFC, at just 17 years old. He earned his UFC contract with a unanimous decision victory over Mando Gutierrez at DWCS.
He has suffered just one defeat in his career and has secured 13 wins, and with his victory over Barcelos, he gained significant experience after facing adversity and pulling through. This will help him fight top-ranked opponents and come one step closer to becoming the champion.
