UFC rising star Raul Rosas Jr. plans to face ranked opponents, but until then, he is content with battling unranked veterans.
Rosas Jr. scored his first major win at UFC 306, where he faced Aoriqileng. Since then, the fighter has requested the top 15 opponents to improve his chances of title contention. Although he hopes that his request is granted, Rosas Jr. is content with enhancing his skill set and battling experienced veterans while he waits and recovers from his injuries.
“If I would have went out there and got the finish, I would for sure have a good argument to get a top 15 [opponent],” Rosas told MMA Fighting. “I want a top 15 [opponent], but if my next fight is not against a top 15 fighter, I want somebody that the UFC would be like, ‘if you beat this guy, we’ll give you a ranked opponent next.’ But either way, I want to be that close.
“I just want fights that will get me closer to the belt. However,I don’t want to fight somebody that I’ll just beat and I stay in the same spot. I want to beat somebody that will get me way closer to the belt.”
Rosas has been vocal about his desire to become the UFC champion. The fighter is intent on achieving this goal before retiring at the age of 25. He also acknowledges that he still has time to accomplish this.
Although fighting a ranked opponent moves him up the ladder and improves his title shot chance, Rosas jr also understands that he can learn some valuable skills and strategies from facing unranked opponents.
“That’s the ultimate goal,” Rosas said about becoming UFC champion. “Regardless, I’m still getting more experienced. Every fight, I’m getting better and better.
“Like this fight, I took it as a way to get more experience because it was a step up in competition. He was the best fighter that I fought so far. He was like a veteran, he was able to stay relaxed and he’s got power in his hands, good takedown defense so it was a step up in competition but the right step up. If I get another fight like that, the right step up then I’ll take it.”
The fighter is eager to get back in the octagon and add another notch to his belt. For now, he is in recovery and uncertain of his return to the cage this year. Rosas Jr. revealed that if he is unable to make an appearance in December. Fans will just have to wait until April 2025 to see him fight.
“I’m not 100 percent healthy,” Rosas said. “I have a few injuries from the fight, I injured my knee a little bit. It’s getting better. But I had injuries before the fight, and they’re still messed up. I’m going to try to heal those up and once I get healed up, I’ll book a fight.
“I do want to fight in December but if I book it right now, I don’t want to risk to have to pull out because I haven’t recovered. So I want to make sure I recover 100 percent and then I’ll book a fight.”
“I’ll be honest, I don’t want to fight January, February, or March,” Rosas said. “If I do get one in, I want it to be this year or a little bit after March because I want to be able to enjoy Christmas.
“Last year, I didn’t get to enjoy it because I had a fight in February. So, I had to train all December and January. Even though the fight didn’t happen because I got sick the day of the fight but I had been training since December. I’m not going to lie, it kind of sucked so this year I want to enjoy Christmas.”
In the meantime, the fighter is working hard and training regularly to meet up for his possible match-up this year.
“I’m already training,” Rosas said. “I’m already in camp because I think I have a big grappling match coming up. A big name, but obviously I can’t really say [yet], nothing’s signed, nothing’s confirmed yet but I got the offer and I said yes. We’ll see if that goes through and that will happen Oct. 26.”
