Raul Rosas Jr.'s "main goal" is dethroning Jon Jones as the youngest champion in UFC history: "I've got 4 years to break it"
19-year-old MMA superstar and surging UFC bantamweight Raul Rosas Jr has the potential to beat Jon Jones' record as the youngest UFC world champion ever. The teenage prodigy, who just beat TUF winner Ricky Turcios last weekend, is currently 4-1 in the UFC. He is arguably barely into his prime yet.
With the trend of how his young career is going so far, 'El Nino Problema' has a lot of time to clear Jones' record. In an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Rosas Jr. was asked where he is in his quest to become the youngest fighter to wear UFC gold. He told Helwani:
"It's always been there [to become youngest UFC champion ever]. I did take that loss [to Christian Rodriguez, UFC 287] and it did send me back a little bit, but I knew I was going to be back, and you know, it was nothing."
When asked what's his prediction on when he'll break the record, Rosas Jr.. said:
"It depends. Let me see if I get another fight this year. I'm thinking if I win, if I don't get a top 15 [fighter] next, I think winning the next fight will give me a top 15. And then fighting like, three fights in the top 15... so probably like two or three years... That's always been the main goal... I got four years to break it. I think I can make it happen."
Watch a clip of the conversation here, as posted by MMA Fighting on X:
Raul Rosas Jr. feels blessed as UFC career turns his family's life around
In the same interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Raul Rosas Jr. explained how his massive surge through the UFC ranks has given him and his family a new lease on life. He said (via MMA Hour):
"Yeah, we're [my family] are more comfortable. I have been able to provide for them more. Things, little by little, have gotten better. Like, before, when I was in [Dana White's] Contender Series, we didn't even have beds. We didn't even have a couch."
Rosas Jr. continued with:
"Now we have beds. Now we have a couch. Now I'm looking to buy a new house. I'm 19 years old, you know, so I'm blessed."
Watch a clip of this part of the interview here, as posted by @FightCrack on X: