Ultimate Fighting Championship youngster
Raul
Rosas Jr. may get in three fights in the promotion before his
19th birthday at this rate.
The news first broke on Thursday from Eurosport
Nederland that Rosas Jr. (7-0) will be returning to the Octagon
in April. At UFC 287
on April 8, “El Nino Problema” will square off against Christian
Rodriguez (8-1) in the bantamweight division. The destination
for this fight card is not yet official, as it could take place at
the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, but Miami has also been
discussed as a possible location. Rodriguez confirmed this
pairing on Instagram shortly after its announcement.
Advertisement
Rosas burst onto the scene courtesy of a dominant, contract-winning
performance on the 2022 season of Dana White’s Contender Series. At the age of
17, Rosas handled Mango Gutierrez to earn what is still his only
decision as a pro. His debut went swimmingly, as he hit a face
crank on Jay Perrin
without even needing to complete the rear-naked choke to get the
tap. Five of the Mexican fighter’s seven wins have come in the
opening frame.
Standing across from the 18-year-old will be Rodriguez, who earned
his first UFC victory in October 2022. Like Rosas, Rodriguez showed
up on an episode of the Contender Series, and his win on the
scorecards over Reyes
Cortez Jr. proved to be not enough to earn a place on the
roster. A 63-second win over Ryan
McIntosh – one where he won the fight simply by taking mount,
without needing to land ground-and-pound or lock up a submission
before his foe tapped out – earned him a short-notice callup to the
UFC. Rodriguez lost to Jonathan
Pearce in that outing, only to bounce back eight months later
with a first-round anaconda choke of Joshua
Weems. “CeeRod” celebrates a finish rate a tick above his
prospective opponent’s, sitting at 87% compared to Rosas’ 86%.
UFC 287 on April 8 currently has no official location on the books,
although it is rumored to be held at the Barclays Center in
Brooklyn, New York. No headliner is set for its billing as of now,
with only four other matches confirmed thus far. The highest tilt
on the card comes in the bantamweight division, as Rob Font takes
on Adrian
Yanez. The other three tilts include a strawweight scrap
between Michelle
Waterson-Gomez and Luana
Pinheiro, another match at 115 pounds pitting Lupita
Godinez against Cynthia
Calvillo, and a lightweight contest as Ignacio
Bahamondes takes on Nikolas
Motta.