"This kid is dangerous" - Aljamain Sterling on whether the recently signed 17-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. could beat him
Aljamain Sterling recently weighed in on UFC newcomer Raul Rosas Jr., the youngest signee in UFC history. After Rosas Jr.'s emphatic win over Mando Gutierrez on Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) 55, Sterling answered if the 17-year-old could beat him if they were matched up immediately.
After a hysterical laugh, 'Funk Master' noted that Rosas Jr. could scale great heights with age on his side. However, the UFC bantamweight champion believes he has a much higher fight IQ than a 17-year-old who's yet to make his debut in the promotion.
However, Aljamain Sterling credited Rosas Jr.'s skillset, claiming 'El Nino Problemo' could probably have his way against a striker who's not well-versed on the ground.
Furthermore, 'Funkmaster' is unsure whether the 17-year-old will fare as well against a seasoned grappler. Sterling recently said on his YouTube channel:
"[Laughs] You guys be the judge. You let me know. But again, at 17 years old, the sky is the limit for this guy. I'm 33. Been there, done that. I've had my ups and downs. I've had my bumps and bruises. And I like to think my fight IQ is a lot higher than a 17-year-old's. Again, this kid's dangerous. He does some good stuff in there. I think if he runs into a good striker who isn't really competent on the ground, he can submit them and have his way... But you see, he fights a grappler who is not even close to his size in terms of frame and build and he still has a tough time."
Watch the clip below:
Watch the full video below:
Aljamain Sterling believes Raul Rosas Jr. needs elite training before title aspirations
Raul Rosas Jr. earned a clean 30-27 unanimous decision win over Mando Gutierrez on DWCS 55, subsequently earning a UFC contract. The youngest UFC fighter in history also later vowed to become the youngest UFC champion in history.
Rosas Jr. also went on to say that he wouldn't mind fighting a top-5 ranked opponent on his UFC debut. While UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling was impressed with Rosas Jr's confidence, he believes 'El Nino Problemo' should slow down with title talks.
According to 'Funk Master', Rosas Jr. should focus on training with elite partners before thinking about elite opponents.
This 17 year old kid is chattin a HUGE game! 🤣
I LOVE IT!
#DWCS
Congrats to Rosa Jr! I’d slow down on the Chito, Yan, and UFC Champ stuff tho. Might be better/wiser to get OG training partners to guide you and learn from them. But to each his own 🤷🏾♂️ Fun scrap! BJJ can be fun when both fighters understand what they’re doing. #DWCS
At that age, I’d be seeking advice and training from the guys at the top to excel my development. But I’m sure Rosa and his team are smart to have things prepared for him and his future twitter.com/MMAFighting/st…