Raul Rosas Jr. is anxiously awaiting a call to confirm that he’ll get to fight at the upcoming UFC 306, which is the second annual Noche UFC event celebrating Mexican Independence Day.
Following a dominant win over Ricky Turcios in June, it almost seemed like a foregone conclusion that the 19-year-old prospect would end up on the September card taking place at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Since first arriving in the UFC, Rosas has quickly become one of the most talked-about names on the roster and his Mexican heritage makes him a perfect fit for the upcoming pay-per-view.
The only problem is Rosas still hasn’t found an opponent, which is why he’s essentially issuing an open challenge to anybody in the top 15 rankings, or another big named bantamweight, willing to face him.
“I’m waiting for a fight at the Sphere,” Rosas told MMA Fighting. “That’s what I’m pushing for because I want to be able to fight in an event that’s going to be the first time. It’s history in the books, I want to be a part of history and to be able to make history.
“At first, I wanted a top 15 guy or a fighter that has a big name as well, just because it’s a big event. Obviously, I bring a lot of people and I have a lot of hype on me and I have a lot of attention. But imagine if you could bring someone like me on the other side of the cage, how big of a fight would that be at the Sphere, you know? That’s what I was trying to push for but at this point, I guess I’ll go back fighting another whoever it is and climb the ladder.”
A quick look at the UFC’s rankings reveal a few potential names available without fights currently booked but one in particular stood out to Rosas.
“I hadn’t really looked at it but now that you’re mentioning those names, I think Pedro Munhoz would be a good fight,” Rosas said. “Kyler [Phillips] and Mario [Bautista], I train with them at the MMA Lab and I plan on maybe one day after this fight making it my full camp gym. They could be potentially my training partners and they’re cool with me and they help me a lot. I’ve already trained with Mario Bautista and Kyler Phillips so I would try to not fight them. Maybe Pedro Munhoz.”
Munhoz hasn’t fought since March when he dropped a decision to Phillips, which served as his second defeat in a row overall.
His current record doesn’t matter as much as the overall resume when it comes to Rosas’ interest in the fight because that would still afford him a matchup against an established veteran with real credentials to test his skills.
“How many people would tune into that one wanting to see me break into the top 15 and some people wanting to see him stop me from doing that.” Rosas said. “He has a name, he has a few highlights, he’s dangerous, he’s a good fighter, he’s a veteran, he’s experienced and I’m young and hungry trying to chase my goal to the belt. It would bring a lot of hype.
“He has a number and it would be a big win for me and it would be a big win for him as well. That’s a fight that would be sick.”
Of course, Rosas understands the hierarchy in the UFC that some ranked fighters just don’t show much interest in facing prospects or opponents that don’t offer them a chance to move up the ladder.
There’s no denying that Rosas has far less experience against top level competition but on the flipside, he’s built a name for himself that should make him an attractive fight for anybody even if he doesn’t have a number next to his name.
“There’s nothing to win sometimes for them but I feel like any top 15 [fighter], let’s say Pedro Munhoz fights me, he has a lot to win,” Rosas explained. “He can try to steal away my hype. He can try to stop me. He’ll win a lot from fighting me, especially at Noche UFC. Me on my side, I’ll also win a lot by beating him, which will put me in the rankings and stuff. It’s a win-win for both of us.”
With hopes that a fight eventually materializes, Rosas has already started his training camp in preparation for the Sept. 14 date for UFC 306.
He remains confident that he’ll get the call but Rosas can’t deny that hearing UFC CEO Dana White say there are a very limited number of spots available has him getting a little more vocal about finding an opponent sooner rather than later.
“This is like my third week of camp,” Rosas said. “I’m feeling ready, I’m feeling sharp and I’m just waiting for a name.
“What made it hard is there’s only going to be 10 spots on the card. But not trying to be cocky or nothing, but if we’re being real, and you asked anybody if I should be on that card, I feel like I most definitely got to be on that card. I feel like I bring a lot of Mexican fans, a lot of people, a lot of views so I feel like the numbers talk and I feel like I should definitely be on that card. That makes me feel confident that I am going to be on the card.”
