Highly-touted Mexican prospect Raul Rosas Jr. doesn’t want to hear sh*t from any UFC fighter unless they’ve got a title wrapped around their waist.
‘El Nino Problema’ burst onto the mixed martial arts scene last year, competing on Dana White’s Contender Series despite being just 17 years old at the time. Rosas Jr. scored a unanimous decision over Mando Gutierrez, earning himself a contract with the promotion. Three months later, the hype train officially left the station when Rosas Jr. landed a first-round submission against Jay Perrin in his promotional debut at UFC 282.
The new youngest fighter in UFC history! Welcome to the roster Raul Rosas Jr.
#DWCS pic.twitter.com/tORtYkCdv9
— UFC (@ufc) September 21, 2022
However, at UFC UFC 287 earlier this year, his hype hit a slight snag after Rosas Jr. suffered a unanimous decision loss at the hands of Christian Rodriguez. Many assumed that being dealt his first defeat would help humble the outspoken teenage phenom. Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case. In an interview with FULL SEND MMA, Rosas Jr. revealed that he is now out of high school, allowing him to focus on the sport full-time. He also had a few candid words for fighters who have not quite reached the top of their division despite dedicating their lives to MMA.
“Now it’s gonna be pretty amazing, being out of high school and being able to put my all into the sport,” Rosas Jr. said. “A lot of fighters were talking sh*t, but all I wanted to say to all the fighters talking sh*t, I don’t want them talking sh*t if they don’t got that belt.
“It’s pretty upsetting when they been dedicating all their life into this sport, these UFC fighters, all they do is fight for the UFC. So they got nothing to do but train, and still can’t be the best at it,” Rosas Jr. continued. “So don’t come talking sh*t to me if you’re a UFC fighter and you’re not a champion. That’s all you do, bro, and you can’t be the best at the only thing you do” (h/t MMA News).
That definitely sounds like something an 18-year-old kid would say.
Pushing his youthful ignorance aside, Raul Rosas Jr. is a legitimate prospect in the world of combat sports. Turning pro a month after his 17th birthday, he embarked on a journey that ultimately led him to an undeniably impressive 5-0 record before getting his opportunity to shine on DWCS. And despite the one setback, ‘El Nino Problema’ has lived up to his nickname, boasting an 85% finish rate with five submissions and one win via KO.