Christian Rodriguez Defeats Raul Rosas Jr. by Unanimous Decision at UFC 287

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Christian Rodriguez has taken down a hot prospect…

The 25-year-old Latino MMA fighter, nicknamed “CeeRod,” came back from losing the first round to win a unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) over the previously undefeated Raul Rosas Jr. to open the UFC 287 main card on Saturday at Kaseya Center.

Rosas has been one of the best and most hyped prospects on the UFC roster at only 18 years old. He was the youngest fighter ever signed to the UFC last year at 17. He has also developed quite the fan following, getting a big pop for his walkout Saturday night.

“I just stopped a hype train,” Rodriguez said in his postfight interview. “I hope you guys can follow my journey.”

Rosas looked good early. He’s a ground specialist, and it’s never a secret that he’s going to try to take the fight to the canvas. He did so repeatedly in the first round and nearly snared a rear-naked choke while on Rodriguez’s back on several occasions. But Rodriguez survived some very disadvantageous situations.

Rosas was clearly exhausted going into the second round, and Rodriguez took over. He was able to out-scramble Rosas on the ground in the second and third rounds, stay on top and land some ground and pound.

“I respect his skillset,” Rodriguez said of Rosas, adding, “That kid brings it.”

Rodriguez (9-1) has won two straight now after dropping his UFC debut to Jonathan Pearce in January 2022.

The 25-year-old Milwaukee native, who trains out of Roufusport, is a veteran of Dana White‘s Contender Series.

Rosas (7-1), who lives and trains in Las Vegas, won his UFC debut at UFC 282 back in December, a first-round submission win.

UFC Legend Anderson Silva to be Inducted into UFC Hall of Fame

Posted on March 19, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Anderson Silva is headed to the hall…

The 47-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist and boxer, a former UFC Middleweight Champion who holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days, will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer, the promotion announced during the UFC 286 broadcast.

Considered one of the greatest MMA fighters to ever live will enter the Hall as part of the pioneer wing.

The Spider, as he’s nicknamed, has dominated the sport. He held the UFC middleweight title from 2006 to 2013 and compiled 16 straight victories in the UFC, the longest winning streak in promotion history.

Silva had 10 middleweight title defenses, second all-time after Jon Jones and Demetrious Johnson (11).

“Anderson Silva is one of the greatest athletes of all time,” UFC president Dana White said in a statement. “Anderson’s 16-fight winning streak in the UFC, 10 successful title defenses and almost seven years as middleweight champion were one of the most remarkable things we’ve ever seen in professional sports. He was an absolute artist inside the Octagon, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”

It wasn’t just that Silva would win, either. He put opponents away with a flourish, sometimes making foes look foolish in the process. His nine UFC title finishes are the most in promotion history, and he’s tied for the most KO/TKOs in UFC middleweight history.

Silva asked for his UFC release in 2020 and went on to win boxing matches against former world champ Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and fellow UFC luminary Tito Ortiz. Jake Paul defeated Silva in a boxing match, Silva’s most recent fight, last October.

In the UFC, Silva owns victories over the likes of Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen (twice) and Forrest Griffin.

Alex Pereira to Face Rival Israel Adesanya in Fourth Fight

Posted on January 27, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Alex Pereira is going on the defensive…

The 35-year-old Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxer will defend his middleweight championship back in a fourth fight against rival against Israel Adesanya this spring.

Pereira and Adesanya will face each other in the co-main event of UFC 287 on April 8, UFC president Dana White has announced.

Jorge Masvidal will return against Gilbert Burns in the other co-main event, while popular welterweight Kevin Holland will take on Santiago Ponzinibbio on the main card, White said.

A location for UFC 287 has yet to be announced.

Perira has beaten Adesanya twice in kickboxing and knocked him out last November in the fifth round of their first MMA fight against one another at UFC 281 to win the belt.

Adesanya is No. 4 in ESPN‘s pound-for-pound rankings.

Pereira (7-1) is 4-0 in the UFC with three victories via KO/TKO. The Brazilian-born fighter, who trains out of Connecticut, only started his full-time MMA career in 2020. Pereira, 35, was once one of the best kickboxers in the world, holding Glory titles at middleweight and light heavyweight.

Adesanya (23-2) had been the UFC middleweight champion since 2019 prior to Pereira’s victory. The Nigerian-born New Zealander had only one MMA loss prior to November, at light heavyweight in a 2021 title fight against Jan Blachowicz.

Adesanya, 33, had five successful middleweight title defenses.

Masvidal (35-16) has lost three straight but remains one of the biggest stars on the UFC roster. The 38-year-old Miami native owns the fastest knockout in UFC history — a five-second flying knee win over Ben Askren in 2019.

Burns (21-5), a 36-year-old former title contender from Brazil who trains out of Florida, is coming off a first-round submission victory over Neil Magny on Saturday at UFC 283.

Raul Rosas Jr. to Fight Christian Rodriguez at UFC 287

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Raul Rosas Jr. has scheduled his return to the Octagon…

The 18-year-old Mexican American mixed martial arts prodigy, who became the youngest fighter to ever sign with the UFC, will return to the Octagon on April 8 to fight fellow prospect Christian Rodriguez at UFC 287, according to ESPN.

Former UFC champion Anthony Pettis, who represents Rodriguez under the Showtime Group agency, also posted about the fight on Instagram. A location has yet to be determined, and no main event has been set yet for the pay-per-view card.

Rosas (7-0) was 17 when he signed with the UFC last September. Living and training in Las Vegas, he beat Mando Gutierrez on Dana White‘s Contender Series to earn a UFC contract. Rosas then beat Jay Perrin in his debut with the promotion via first-round submission at UFC 282 in December.

Rodriguez (8-1) is coming off a first-round submission win over Joshua Weems in October. The Milwaukee native is 1-1 in the UFC. Rodriguez, 25, trains out of Roufusport in his hometown and owns wins in CFFC, LFA and on Contender Series.

Jafel Filho to Fight Muhammad Mokaev During UFC 286 at O2 Arena

Posted on January 17, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

He may be new to the game, but Jafel Filho is already lining up a major opponent.

The 29-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist, a promotional newcomer, will take on Muhammad Mokaev, one of the UFC‘s top prospects, this year in London.

The 125-pound bout will take place at UFC 286 on March 18 at O2 Arena, UFC officials told ESPN. It will mark Mokaev’s fourth appearance in the UFC, three of which have taken place at O2 Arena.

Born in Dagestan and fighting out of England, Mokaev (8-0) is vying to become the youngest champion in UFC history. The 22-year-old is 3-0 so far in the UFC, with two wins by submission. He would need to win the UFC’s flyweight title by March 2024 to break the current record held by Jon Jones. Jones won the light heavyweight title in 2011 at age 23.

Mokaev has not been able to secure a ranked opponent yet inside the Octagon, but he is currently ranked No. 14 himself in the UFC’s official rankings. He underwent surgery late last year on a dislocated shoulder but made it known he intended to return in time for the UFC’s card in London.

Filho (14-2), of Rio de Janeiro, earned a UFC contract in August with an impressive third-round TKO on Dana White‘s Contender Series.

He has won five in a row going into his UFC debut, with five consecutive finishes.

A trilogy welterweight title fight between Jafel Filho and Kamaru Usman is set to headline UFC 286.

UFC Rising Star Luana Pinheiro In Talks to Fight Michelle Waterson-Gomez

Posted on January 16, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Luana Pinheiro is thisclose to locking in her next opponent…

The UFC is finalizing a strawweight battle between the 29-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist and Michelle Waterson-Gomez this spring, according to ESPN.

The contest will take place on April 8 at an event that is expected to be UFC 287 on pay-per-view. The UFC has not announced an official date or location for that numbered event, but UFC president Dana White has said it will “probably” take place in Brooklyn, New York.

Pinheiro (10-1) is a rising contender with a 2-0 record in the UFC. Fighting out of Belo Horizonte in Brazil, Pinheiro earned a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020.

Waterson-Gomez (18-10) has been a mainstay in the top of the 115-pound division for years. The Albuquerque, New Mexico-based strawweight is 1-4 in her past five appearances, but she’s faced the top of her division during that time, including two former champions in Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Carla Esparza. She’s coming off a loss to Amanda Lemos in her most recent fight in July.

Waterson-Gomez and Pinheiro are ranked Nos. 11 and 13, respectively, in the UFC’s strawweight division.

The UFC has not announced a main event for the April 8 card.

Raul Rosas Jr. Becomes First 18-Year-Old to Win in the UFC

Posted on December 11, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Raul Rosas Jr. has a first UFC win under his belt…

The Mexican mixed martial artist, who turned 18 years old just two months ago, became the youngest fighter ever to compete in the UFC on Saturday night, and his performance was dominant in a first-round submission of veteran bantamweight Jay Perrin during the prelims of UFC 282 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Rosas, who was born in Mexico and raised in New Mexico and California, was signed off of Dana White‘s Contender Series when he was still 17.

He now is 18 years and 63 days old, younger than the only other 18-year-olds to compete in the Octagon, Sean Daugherty and Dan Lauzon.

But Rosas is the first 18-year-old to win in the UFC. And he made it look easy.

Rosas, whose specialty is grappling, took the fight to the canvas within the first minute and immediately seized control, which he maintained before eliciting the tapout from Perrin via rear-naked choke at 2:44 of Round 1.

Rosas spoke afterward about the next historical accomplishment in his sights.

“Man, this is crazy, but I knew I was going to be here at this age,” he said. “So right now I’m just living the dream. I had no nerves, no pressure, felt free. I’m doing what I love to do. And right now, tonight, I just came to introduce myself, because I’m coming for that belt.”

Raul Rosas, Jr. to Become Youngest Fighter to Compete in UFC with Debut Fight Against Jay Perrin

Posted on October 27, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Raul Rosas, Jr. is set to earn his place in UFC history…

The 18-year-old Mexican mixed martial artist, known as “El Niño Problema,” will become the youngest fighter to compete in the UFC when he makes his debut against Jay Perrin (10-6) at UFC 282 on December 10 in Las Vegas.

Rosas’ representative agency, Iridium Sports, announced the news on social media.

Last month, Rosas became the youngest fighter to win a contract on Dana White‘s Contender Series when he defeated Mando Gutierrez (7-1) via unanimous decision. Rosas was just 17 at the time of that fight. He celebrated his 18th birthday on October 8.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said White, the UFC president, as he signed Rosas. “The amount of fighters blowing me up saying, ‘You’re crazy not to [sign him].’ … He’s special.”

According to UFC Stats and Info, Dan Lauzon currently holds the record as the youngest fighter to ever compete in the Octagon (18 years, 198 days). He made his UFC debut in January 2010. Rosas will comfortably beat that mark, as long as the fight stays together on December 10.

Rosas was born in Mexico and now fights out of California. Perrin, 29, is 0-2 since signing with the UFC earlier this year. He has fought professionally since 2014.

Marlon Moraes Coming Out of Retirement with Multi-Fight PFL Deal

Posted on September 29, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Marlon Moraes is making a comeback…

The 34-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC bantamweight title challenger has decided to come out of retirement, and will do so under a new multi-fight deal with Professional Fighters League (PFL).In addition to the new deal, Moraes (23-10-1) has agreed to a featherweight matchup against Shane Burgos (15-3) on the promotion’s tournament finals card later this year.

Multiple sources told ESPN contracts haven’t been signed for the bout, but verbal agreements are in place.

The PFL has not announced an official date or location for the event, although it is expected to take place in November.

Moraes walked away from the sport earlier this year following a four-fight skid in the Octagon, but figures to be a prominent new face in the PFL’s season format. He’s actually returning to his former home, in a sense. Moraes was a 135-pound champion at World Series of Fighting, which was rebranded into the PFL in 2017.

Originally from Brazil and now fighting out of Florida, Moraes came within one win of becoming a UFC champion in June 2019, when he came up short in a vacant title bid against challenger Henry Cejudo. He went on to drop four of his next five, although he was fighting the very best of his weight class in the likes of Song Yadong, Merab Dvalishvili, Rob Font and Cory Sandhagen.

Burgos, of New York, also signed a new deal with PFL this year. The 31-year-old fought exclusively in the UFC from 2106 to 2022. He has fought some of the top names of the division during his career. Following his signing with PFL, UFC president Dana White went so far as to admit the promotion made an error in not keeping Burgos on its roster.

Raul Rosas Jr. Becomes Youngest MMA Fighter to Sign with UFC

Posted on September 21, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Raul Rosas Jr. has earned his place in UFC history…

The 17-year-old Mexican mixed martial artist has become the youngest fighter to sign with the UFC.

Rosas signed with UFC Tuesday night, following a unanimous decision win over Mando Gutierrez on Dana White‘s Contender Series.

White, impressed by Rosas’ performance, offered the teen a contract before the end of the show, which he accepted. Rosas is the youngest fighter to compete on the series.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” White said of Rosas’ age and outing against Gutierrez. “Not only that, the amount of fighters blowing me up saying you’re crazy not to (sign him). … He’s absolutely, positively talented. He’s special, he’s different.”

Rosas, a bantamweight fighter, dominated the 25-year-old Gutierrez for most of the fight with his grappling prowess. He nearly finished Gutierrez in the first round with a rarely used Suloev stretch submission from back control. Gutierrez had moments, taking Rosas down and landing some ground-and-pound. But almost always, Rosas would end up in the better position, using his dexterity, skill and creativity on the ground to scramble his way to the top.

Rosas (6-0) had finished all of his previous opponents before Tuesday night. The Mexican-born fighter, who trains out of Las Vegas, previously fought in the UWC promotion in Tijuana.

Dan Lauzon holds the record as the youngest fighter to compete in the UFC (18 years, 198 days), per ESPN Stats & Information research. As long as Rosas steps into the Octagon within the next 216 days — a likely scenario — he will beat that mark.

And Rosas is already talking about winning championships. The youngest UFC champion was Jon Jones at age 23 in 2011.

“Everybody shouldn’t be surprised,” Rosas said. “I’m the new king in here, so I’m coming for that belt now. … I’m gonna be champion when I’m 20. Respect to everybody, but I’m gonna be champion when I’m 20, or even earlier. Nobody is gonna stop me.”

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