Raul Rosas Jr reveals he wants to retire by the age of 25 after becoming the youngest UFC champion ever
12/09/2024 10:55
At just 19 years old, Raul Rosas Jr still has four years to take Jon Jones’ record and become the youngest champion in UFC history.
This coming weekend at Noche UFC (UFC 306), Raul Rosas Jr will continue his journey to becoming the youngest champion ever, when he takes on Aoriqileng in a big fight in the bantamweight division.
Since earning a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022, ‘El Nino Problema’ has quickly become a favorite amongst fans as they continue to watch his ascent up the 135lb division.
Raul Rosas Jr reveals he wants to retire from MMA by the age of 25
With a win over the MMA veteran, ‘The Mongolian Murderer’, Rosas Jr will likely find himself just outside of the top 15 at bantamweight and will be knocking on the door of a ranked opponent.
His lone UFC loss came against the prospect killer, Christian Rodriguez, but since losing to him in April last year, he has rebounded and finished two fights in a row.
Despite his goal of becoming a champion by the age of 23, the Mexican has admitted that he would like to retire from MMA by the time he turns 25 years old.
“I said before, suffer now and enjoy later, so right now I’m just gonna go all gas no brakes, try to accomplish my dreams, finish my career pretty early and enjoy later,” Rosas Jr said in an interview with ESPN MMA.
“I want to accomplish my dreams which is to become the youngest UFC champion (ever), have the belt, defend the belt a few times then probably retire, so hopefully by 25 years old my career is all said and done and I’m able to enjoy time with my family and whatever I decide to do,” the Mexican revealed.
At the moment, the 19-year-old has a little way to go before he finds himself in the bantamweight title picture, especially with the 135lb division being one of the deepest in the sport.
Raul Rosas Jr talks about a near-death experience when he was younger
Prior to beginning his MMA career, the young Mexican experienced a worrying moment during his childhood, which resulted in a near-death experience.
After suffering from severe stomach pains, his parents called the emergency services, who rushed him to a hospital an hour and a half from where he lived as he had a ruptured appendix which required emergency surgery.
“One time I got a stomach ache and couldn’t move, but I didn’t say anything, I would only say I was tired. I remember waking up (after surgery) and I think I was supposed to die within a few hours,” Rosas Jr explained to ESPN.
His parents knew that from surviving that extremely harrowing experience, he was born to be a fighter and make history, and on Saturday night, he has the chance to put himself even closer to that.
