Raul Rosas Jr. believes he could face Umar Nurmagomedov for the title, yet predicts Russian will lose his next fight
UFC wunderkind Raul Rosas Jr. has fast become a fan favorite. He is 3-1 in the world's premier MMA promotion and might very well fight for the title sooner rather than later if he keeps up his stellar form and activity.
'El Nino Problema' believes when he eventually lands a title shot, it'll be the current No.10 ranked bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov who'll be holding the belt.
Undefeated in his 17 MMA outings, Nurmagomedov is seen as one of the finest talents at 135 pounds. The proficient grappler holds seven submissions and two knockouts to his name.
While the 19-year-old has such high hopes for the Dagestani, he doesn't see his fellow bantamweight winning his next fight. The Eagles MMA affiliate will next be seen against Cory Sandhagen at UFC on ABC 7 on Aug. 3.
Speaking to MMA Crazy about Nurmagomedov's chances against 'Sandman', Rosas Jr. said:
"He is a beast, but Cory Sandhagen is a beast too. I'm going to have to go with Cory Sandhagen."
Catch Raul Rosas Jr.'s comments below:
While one might think, Sandhagen, predominantly a striker, would have a hard time against a seasoned wrestler, if his most recent fight against Ron Font is any evidence, the 32-year-old has vastly improved his ground game.
'Sandman' is a former title challenger and holds a record of 17-4, with wins against the likes of Marlon Vera, Song Yadong, and promotional legend Frankie Edgar.
However, according to Bet Online, Nurmagomedov is a -400 favorite over 'Sandman' (+330 underdog) for the matchup.
Raul Rosas Jr. on who he'd be fighting in the Sphere
The lineup for the highly anticipated Noche event at UFC 306 is yet to be announced. However, the fight card commemorating the Mexican Independence Day has historically featured many popular Mexican talents on the roster.
Naturally, many believe Mexican-born American teenage sensation Raul Rosas Jr. will most definitely be fighting on the card.
'El Nino Problema' for one can't wait to fight at the UFC's magnum-opus at the Sphere and is hoping for a level-up in competition if he makes the walk. Speaking to The Schmo, he said:
"Yeah, I mean no names yet, but hopefully somebody in the top 15."
Catch Raul Rosas Jr.'s comments below (1:16):