17-Year-Old Raul Rosas Jr. Might Make History In UFC

Many teenagers are beginning to pursue combat sports as a profession.

Among them is a 17-year-old, Raul Rosas Jr., who is on the verge of creating history. Rosas Jr. is reportedly set to make his debut in the UFC after the news surfaced on the internet that the teen has signed to fight on September 20 on Dana White’s Contender Series against fellow bantamweight Mando Gutierrez (7-1).

The news was first broken by ESPN Deportes after Rosas shared the news on social media. And if it turns out to be true, Rosas Jr. (5-0) will become the youngest fighter to compete in the world’s premier MMA organization. The record was previously held by Chase Hooper, who also got the start in the UFC through the Contender Series but was 19 at that time.

Rosas Jr. will be needing clearance from the Nevada Athletic Commission if he is to fight inside the octagon.

The NAC oversees the UFC Apex and in order to license by the commission, the fighter should be between ages 18 to 38. However, according to NAC 467.017, special licenses may be granted to those outside the age range with special commission approval.

Rosas Jr. has so far fought outside the States for Ultimate Warrior Challenge (UWC), an MMA organization based in Mexico. The 17-year-old is unbeaten in all of his five bouts, with four of them coming by the way of knockout.

Rosas Jr’s probable opponent for the upcoming fight, Gutierrez is by no means a newcomer to this scene. The 25-year-old has lost just once in the seven bouts fought, with all his victories coming by finishes in the first round.