Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) could sign the youngest fighter in the history of the promotion if undefeated bantamweight phenom Raul Rosas Jr. (5-0) is able to defeat Mando Gutierrez on Dana White’s “Contender Series” on Sept. 20 at the promotion’s APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Rosas Jr. turns 18 in early October so even if White awarded “El Niño Problema” a UFC contract, he would already be an adult by the time he debuted inside the Octagon. That would make him one year younger than previous record holder and fellow “Contender Series” alum Chase Hooper, who was 19 at the time of his first UFC fight.
ONE Championship has them both beat thanks to 16 year-old Victoria Lee, one of several pro fighters inked before their 18th birthdays.
The more likely scenario is that a victorious Rosas Jr. gets another “Contender Series” fight, much like wrestling standout Bo Nickal did earlier this month. Or the 25 year-old Gutierrez — who is 7-1 with six submissions — could flip the script and send Rosas Jr. back to the regional circuit in Mexico.
We’ll find out next month in “Sin City.”