LAS VEGAS – Raul Rosas Jr.’s goal to become the youngest champion in UFC history still remains.
Rosas (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), who’s the youngest fighter on the UFC roster, returns to action this Saturday at Noche UFC, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena. It’s his first fight back since suffering his first professional defeat. Despite the setback, Rosas’ ambitious career goals remain the same.
“Everything I’ve said in the past, all the goals I’ve set in the past, nothing has changed,” Rosas told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s Noche UFC media day. “Everything remains the same. I meant everything. If you bring up something I’ve said in the past, I’ll still admit to it. I still think the same way. Nothing has changed.”
After his appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series and successful UFC debut, Rosas quickly became one of the more popular rising stars on the UFC roster. This may be a double-edged sword given the nature of the fanbase. After his first loss back in April in Miami, he did feel the weight of his popularity.
“I got more love than hate,” Rosas said regarding his first defeat. “Everyone telling me since I lost that they can’t wait to see me come back, so I appreciate that, but of course, there was hate too. I knew this is how the sport is.
“Even if Khabib would come back and lose, the fans would turn their back on him. Every time I would go to a UFC event and saw a star of the show, he lost, everyone would turn their back on him, so we knew since we were little that that’s how the sport is, so it doesn’t really matter.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Noche UFC.
