Noche UFC 306: Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Aoriqileng: Live round-by-round updates
Surging bantamweight prospect Raul Rosas Jr. takes on former Wu Lin Feng bantamweight champion Aoriqileng in the opening fight of the Noche UFC 306 card.
'Dana White's Contender Series' graduate Rosas Jr. succumbed to his first career loss in his second UFC outing against Christian Rodriguez at UFC 287. The young Mexican fighter bounced back from the defeat with a TKO victory over Terrence Mitchell and a submission win against Ricky Turcios.
Aoriqileng wields a 3-3-1NC record in the UFC, having joined the ranks of the world's premier MMA organization with a 23–8 record. In his last fight against Daniel Marcos, the Chinese fighter was unable to continue due to an accidental groin strike.
Noche UFC 306 is set for Sept. 14 at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The early prelims start at 4:30 p.m. PT and 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the prelims at 5 p.m. PT and 8 p.m. ET. The main card kicks off at 7 p.m. PT and 10 p.m. ET.
Stay with Sportskeeda MMA for live results and play-by-play updates from the Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Aoriqileng bout.
Round 1
Aoriqileng takes the center of the octagon and a straight right hand gets through. Rosas Jr. is operating from the outside range and picking his shots with leg kicks. He's opening up with head kicks and takes Aoriqileng down with over three minutes to work. Rosas Jr. asserts top control and works his way to capture his opponent's back. The Mexican tries to sneak in a rear-naked choke but Aoriqileng's defense holds up. Big shots from top control to close out a dominant round for Rosas Jr.
Our Score: 10-9 Rosas Jr.
Round 2
Aoriqileng pushes forward and lands a crisp straight right hand that briefly halts Rosas Jr.'s movement. Rosas Jr., working from the outside, peppers Aoriqileng with low-leg kicks. Rosas Jr. then opens up with a flurry of short kicks, forcing Aoriqileng to backpedal. So far, Aoriqileng has had a better round, having stuffed a takedown and maintained the fight in his preferred range.
With little over a minute left in the second frame, both fighters engage in a fiery exchange with wild looping punches. Rosas Jr. swarms in to execute a takedown but Aoriqileng defends his opponent's attempt.
Our Score: 10-9 Aoriqileng
Round 3
Rosas Jr. explodes early in the third round and secures a takedown. He quickly transitions to side control and scores with a few short punches. He drops a few knees from side control while Aoriqileng tries to posture up and escape the position. Rosas Jr. is in Aoriqileng's guard, exploding with elbows and punches to the body. The Mexican seems content to stay in this position, scoring with consistent strikes as he secures another round.
Our Score: 10-9 Rosas Jr.
Official Result
Raul Rosas Jr. defeats Aoriqileng via unanimous decision with scores of 29-28, 29-28, and 29-28