Raul Rosas Jr. is officially a ranked fighter in the UFC.
Following his dominant win over veteran contender Rob Font at UFC 326, Rosas (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) cracked the top 15 of the UFC’s official bantamweight rankings, landing at No. 13. This was a big milestone for the 21-year-old Rosas, as he’s been on the hunt to become the youngest champion in UFC history, a record currently held by Jon Jones – who won the UFC light heavyweight belt at 23.
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“It’s awesome, because it’s something I’ve been working toward all my life,” Rosas told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. “I know there’s a lot left on this road, but we’re taking things step by step, and we’re officially one step closer to the title.”
Raul Rosas Jr., who became the youngest fighter to join the UFC at 17 years of age in 2022, knows he’s now off into the deep end now that he has a number next to his name. The idea of fighting the world’s best moving forward excites the young prospect.
“I obviously know tough fights are coming and every fight moving forward is going to get harder,” Rosas said. “I’m ready for that. I’m ready for the challenges, and I believe I have a good team behind me, so we’re going to be ready for anything.”
Now in the rankings and on a five-fight winning streak, Rosas is hoping to get a top-10 fighter for his next UFC bout, which he hopes comes in June. He’s also aware that he’s now in the matchmaker’s call list for any potential fillings in contender bouts.
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“I haven’t spoken to my team about it, but the truth is that I know that my next fight is going to be tougher,” Rosas said. “I’m ready to get back to training, and I want to be prepared. I know now being in the rankings, my opportunities open up. If someone falls through, they start calling us from the rankings. Any of us can step into a big opportunity, whether it’s against No. 1 or No. 2 or No. 3. I’m going to stay ready. It’s like when you’re on the verge of joining the UFC. You’re waiting for Contender Series, but you also know you can get a call to step in on short notice. It’s the same thing. I know a top-10 should be next, but I have to stay ready because something might open up for me to fight a No. 6 or No. 5.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Raul Rosas Jr. stoked over UFC ranking: ‘One step closer to the title’
