The ongoing tale of Raul “El Niño Problemo” Rosas Jr. continues apace. Just hours after his Dana White Contender Series debut was announced yesterday, the aptly nicknamed seventeen-year-old “Problem Child” defeated 25-year-old opponent Mando Gutierrez by unanimous decision, per reporting by ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. The win earned the teen fighter an immediate contract offer from Dana White, which Rosas accepted.
Rosas told ESPN reporters that he knew the contract was in the bag from the start, claiming, “I’ve been saying it since the beginning. Since I was born, I knew this was gonna happen.” He hopes to eclipse Jon Jones’ record as the youngest UFC champion at 23 by earning a belt before the age of twenty, telling ESPN reporters, “I’m the new king in here, so I’m coming for that belt now […] Respect to everybody, but I’m gonna be champion when I’m twenty, or even earlier.”
No one should be surprised that Rosas is chomping at the bit to take his career to the next level, now that he’s secured his spot in the UFC. During his August interview with us, he regaled the Jiu-Jitsu Times with tales of a childhood where he’d lie about his age just for a shot at adult opponents in jiu-jitsu tournaments. Rosas may not be turning eighteen until October, but he’s clearly known what he’s wanted for a long time – and with a UFC contract in hand, he’ll finally have the chance to fight for it.
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