Raul Rosas Jr. has two goals after his UFC Mexico win: Get a ranked opponent, and buy his mom a house.
MEXICO CITY – [autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] has the highest of ambitions for his fighting career, but after another octagon victory Saturday at UFC on ESPN 64, he wants to fill some personal goals, as well.
The 20-year-old Rosas Jr. (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) became the youngest fighter to reach five UFC victories when he outworked Vince Morales (11-10 MMA, 3-8 UFC) to a unanimous decision at Arena CDMX, extending his winning streak to four fights.
Rosas Jr. has made it clear he wants to become UFC champion, and ideally in the new couple years so he can break Jon Jones’ record as the youngest ever. He’s still early in the process and taking it fight-by-fight, though, and with that trying to be smart with his earnings.
Getting his hand raised at UFC on ESPN 64 was a big moment for Rosas Jr., though. Not only does he think it potentially sets him up for ranked competition, but he thinks he’s now accumulated enough wealth to cross of a major bucket list item for his mom.
“More than anything I’m just focused on the belt – I don’t care if I’m 10 fights away or two fights away,” Rosas Jr. told MMA Junkie post-fight at UFC on ESPN 64. “I’ll get them over with. That’s my ultimate goal and more than anything, I’m able to provide my family every single fight, more and more. I’m just happy that now, God willing, I’m going to be able to go back right now and talk about buying a house for my mother, my family and keep supporting them and myself. I’m happy at the moment and excited to be back, hopefully against a top 15 opponent.”
Rosas Jr. admits that, despite getting his hand raised, he wasn’t blown away by his own performance. He gave it a passing mark, but thinks he could’ve done more to be dominant or finish his opponent inside the distance.
Nevertheless, Rosas Jr. said he’s able to step back and look at the big picture, and another 15 minutes of experience isn’t the cage is only going to be beneficial to his evolution process.
“I’d grade it an eight out of 10,” Rosas Jr. said. “I feel like I’ve got a lot of improve. I’m proud of myself in a way that I managed to stay calm, patient throughout hard positions. … I would’ve liked to finish, but these fights, getting more experience – I’m just 20 years old and still growing and evolving and getting a step closer to the belt.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.
UFC Mexico fighters took home Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, with Kelvin Gastelum and Drew Dober leading the way.
MEXICO CITY – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 64 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $168,500.
The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.
UFC on ESPN 64 took place at Arena CDMX in Mexico. The card aired on ESPN2 and streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN 64 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,640; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $32,000 while title challengers get $42,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-64 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2025 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
20-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. now has five octagon wins to his name after beating Vince Morales at UFC Mexico.
[autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] continued to add valuable wins and experience to his resume and emerged with his hand raised against [autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 64.
The 20-year-old Rosas (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) once again displayed a strong grappling presence on Saturday at Arena CDMX in Mexico City. He outworked Morales (11-10 MMA, 3-8 UFC) over the course of three rounds to claim a unanimous decision with three 29-28 scorecards.
The opening round was largely grappling-heavy in the favor of Rosas, who managed to get Morales to the mat and advance to dominant positions. Morales got a reversal late, but couldn’t do anything with it.
The pair stood for a few minutes to start Round 2, but then Rosas secured another takedown and took the back. Despite failing to get the finish, he kept Morales on the defensive for the remainder of the round.
Rosas shot for a takedown early in Round 3, and Morales stuffed it and countered with a series of submission attempts that nearly sealed the deal. Rosas escaped and ended on top, however, where he rode out the round to close the fight.
“Dana (White), thank you for allowing me for coming in here tonight to redeem myself in front of my Mexico people. I know it wasn’t my best performance, but I’m 20 years old and I’m getting experience. … You’ll see me evolve through the years, baby.”
MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom goes inside the Vince Morales vs. Raul Rosas Jr. fight at UFC Mexico.
Vince Morales and Raul Rosas Jr. meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 64 at Arena CDMX in Mexico City. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. Last event: 4-2 UFC main cards, 2025: 25-22-1
Vince Morales vs. Raul Rosas Jr. UFC Mexico preview
Morales (11-9 MMA, 3-7 UFC) is in his second stint in the UFC, but has back-to-back losses since his return and might be being tossed to the wolves here … Rosas (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has designs still to become the youngest champion in UFC history and has three straight wins, including two for bonuses.
Vince Morales vs. Raul Rosas Jr. UFC Mexico expert pick, prediction
Serving as a potential showcase fight at 135 pounds is a scrap between [autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag].
The UFC doesn’t go out of their way to try to properly build up a fighter these days, so it’s hard to hate them doing it for the 20-year-old Rosas.
And when you look at this fight on paper (especially at first glance), it’s difficult to deny that’s exactly what the UFC is doing by booking a veteran fighter on a losing skid to make a quick turnaround to fight one of their golden boys at elevation.
I interviewed Morales last week and he appeared to be in great shape and spirits, all things considered. I just hate that the UFC – whether it’s Morales here or Steve Erceg in the main event – puts good fighters who do solids for them in incredibly tough spots.
Nevertheless, I still suspect that Morales – despite not training at elevation – may still have the edge when it comes to staying power and stamina.
Aside from the fact that gas never appeared to be an issue for Morales before, the 34-year-old bantamweight is excellent at pacing himself in victory or defeat. Whereas Rosas, who seems hardwired to come out like hell on wheels in Round 1, tends to slow down as the fight wears on or, at the very least, needs pockets to recoup his energy.
With that in mind, this fight could get even more interesting if Morales can survive Rosas’s early storm.
I’m not sure if Rosas has the finishing prowess to put away an underrated grappler and wrestler like Morales, so the most likely outcome on paper is a competitive decision win for “El Niño Problema.”
The potential problem, however, is that I suspect that Morales’ underrated grappling game could present issues for Rosas from a stylistic perspective.
Not only has Morales been spending the past couple of years with guys like Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili wrestling with him in the training rooms, but “Vandetta” has also been putting said improvements to practice by submitting UFC-level fighters with his wicked front-choke repertoire.
It’ll be the least popular pick you’ll see all week, but I’ll take a flier on Morales to survive the early storm and lock up a D’Arce choke on a fading Rosas Jr. in Round 3.
Vince Morales vs. Raul Rosas Jr. UFC Mexico odds
The oddsmakers and the public are heavily favoring the Mexican fighter, listing Rosas Jr. -450 and Morales +330 via FanDuel.
Vince Morales vs. Raul Rosas Jr. UFC Mexico start time, how to watch
Morales and Rosas are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 8:15 p.m. ET. The fight airs on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.
The entire 13-bout lineup for Saturday’s UFC Mexico had final staredowns with a range of emotions on display.
MEXICO CITY – The build to UFC on ESPN 64 is now complete after Friday’s ceremonial weigh-in session, where the entire card had the opportunity to face off in front of fans and media.
With 13 contests scheduled, including a Brandon Moreno vs. Steve Erceg flyweight headliner, there are some meaningful bouts set to go down on Saturday at Arena CDMX (ESPN2, ESPN+).
Supporting bouts include [autotag]Drew Dober[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Manuel Torres[/autotag], [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Joe Pyfer[/autotag], and [autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag].
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The athletes had a final opportunity to get a good look at what they will be sharing the octagon with, and you can watch the video of all the UFC on ESPN 64 pre-fight staredowns in the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.
Raul Rosas Jr. sees UFC Mexico as the next step in his path to breaking Jon Jones’ record for youngest UFC champion.
MEXICO CITY – [autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag]’s big-picture goal remains breaking Jon Jones’ record as the youngest champion in UFC history, but he knows he can’t reach that accomplishment without taking each step.
Rosas (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) admits his ambition may have gotten the best of him in the past. And though he’s still just 20, he enters Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 64 bantamweight matchup with Vince Morales (11-9 MMA, 3-7 UFC) at Arena CDMX in Mexico City (ESPN2, ESPN+) with a more mature mentality.
“I’m just concentrated on my path, on every fight,” Rosas told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 64 media day. “I just want to get that belt, so whatever I need to get me there, I’m ready to do it.”
Prior to getting booked against Morales on Saturday, Rosas was briefly linked to a fight against Rob Font in Seattle in February. He said the opportunity to step in as a replacement for Dominick Cruz was presented, but Rosas said he had personal commitments that would’ve prevented him from making the weight.
Still, though, Rosas is motivated knowing the UFC brass already considers him worthy of being booked against someone like Font, who has been ranked for years. Ultimately, it’s the goal to beat Morales, then get a fight like that back.
“That’s what I’m hoping for either way,” Rosas said. “If not, I’ve still got time for my age. I’ll just keep fighting whoever and eventually I’ll get there.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.
UFC’s return to Mexico City has added another solid matchup between Raul Rosas Jr. and Vince Morales.
[autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] has his first assignment of 2025.
On March 29, Rosas Jr. (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) returns at UFC on ESPN 64 to take on Vince Morales. The event, headlined by Brandon Moreno vs. Steve Erceg, takes place at Arena CMDX in Mexico City, Mexico (ESPN, ESPN+). MMA Junkie confirmed the bantamweight booking following a first report from ESPN Deportes.
Rosas Jr. will look to extend his current winning streak to four. After a decision setback against Christian Rodriguez at UFC 287, Rosas Jr. picked up back-to-back Performance of the Night bonus-earning finishes of Terrence Mitchell and Ricky Turcios. In his most recent outing, Rosas Jr. won a unanimous decision over Aori Qileng at UFC 306.
Morales (16-9 MMA, 3-7 UFC) aims to get in the winning column for the first time on his second run in the promotion. After exiting the UFC in 2022, Morales ripped through the regional scene, notching five wins with four finishes to earn another shot on the big stage. However, since his return in September 2024, Morales has ended up on the wrong side of two decisions against Taylor Lapilus and Elijah Smith.
With the addition the current UFC on ESPN 64 lineup includes:
Brandon Moreno vs. Steve Erceg
Vince Morales vs. Raul Rosas Jr.
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer
Kevin Borjas vs. Ronaldo Rodriguez
Loopy Godinez vs. Julia Polastri
Rafa Garcia vs. Joaquim Silva
Drew Dober vs. Manuel Torres
Austin Hubbard vs. opponent TBA
Ateba Gautier vs. Jose Medina
David Martinez vs. Saimon Oliveira
Edgar Chairez vs. CJ Vergara
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.
Austin Bashi doesn’t understand the comparisons to fellow UFC prospect Raul Rosas Jr.
[autotag]Austin Bashi[/autotag] doesn’t understand the comparisons to fellow UFC prospect [autotag]Raul Rosas Jr[/autotag].
Bashi (13-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), 23, also punched his ticket to the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series. Like Bashi, Rosas Jr. entered the UFC undefeated until he ran into Christian Rodriguez in his second octagon appearance. He is now 4-1 in the UFC.
Bashi will look to remain undefeated against the man who handed Rosas Jr. his first-career loss. He faces Rodriguez (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) in a featherweight bout Jan. 11 at UFC Fight Night 249 from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
“Of course he’s tough,” Bashi told MMA Junkie Radio of Rodriguez. “He’s beat some good guys. People try to compare me to Raul, but really I feel like I’m the complete opposite than him.
“I feel like my mindset is different, my IQ is different, and just my fight style is different as a whole. He’s susceptible to a lot of stuff, I would say – a lot of striking and, of course, those takedowns. I feel like that’s going to be a big game changer in the fight.”
Bashi is a former Lights Out bantamweight champion. He finished seven of his 12 professional wins and fought competition with winning records before getting his UFC opportunity. Despite the solid experience at a young age, he has no intentions of rushing to the top in the octagon.
“Over here on the regional scene, I really took my time,” Bashi said. “I had 12 fights before I had that Contender Series fight, and that’s what I really wanted: experience. So same thing growing up over here: I want a lot of experience, fight some good guys and work my way up to the champion.”
“Chiwiwis!” Wait, what does that even mean? UFC’s Raul Rosas Jr. explains to MMA Junkie.
There are very few additions to the MMA lexicon, but every now and then a word or saying earns a spot on the exclusive list. Well, ladies and gentlemen, the time has come to officially welcome something new.
[autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag]’s “Chiwiwis” has taken the MMA world by storm, and after hearing it echo in chants at the Sphere during UFC 306, it’s safe to say it’s here to stay.
“Chiwiwis” joins Alex Pereira’s “chama,” George St-Pierre’s “I’m not impressed by your performance,” Jorge Masvidal’s “three-piece and a soda,” and many others as official MMA phrases. But what does “Chiwiwis” actually mean? Where did it originate? How is it properly used? Those are just some of the questions fans are wondering about given the novelty of the word.
Here at MMA Junkie, we went straight to the source to get answers.
The origin of ‘Chiwiwis’
“Chiwiwis” was kind of born out of thin air, quite literally.
Earlier this year, Rosas found himself training 10,662 feet above sea level in Mexico’s famous Centro Ceremonial Otomí – an ancient Aztec complex built in the mountains outside of Mexico City. Rosas was getting ready to fight Ricky Turcios at UFC Fight Night 237 in Mexico City, and it was in that training camp where “Chiwiwis” became a thing.
“A really close friend of mine, who’s basically like a brother to me, we spend a lot of time together, he would say it all the time, and it stuck with me,” Rosas told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “It really got off when I had a training camp in Centro Ceremonial Otomí. It’s on a mountain, and there’s no service, so all you can do is train and play ping pong and things like that to pass time. So whenever he’d beat us at a game he’d go, ‘Chiwiwis,’ or whenever we’d be messing around. It just stuck.”
Although “Chiwiwis” was coined in February, it wasn’t exposed to the MMA world until June. Rosas fell ill hours before his bout against Turcios in Mexico and was unable to fight that night. But maybe that was for the better as it gave time for “Chiwiwis” to brew among Rosas and his close friends.
The UFC would re-book Rosas vs. Turcios on the main card of UFC on ESPN 57 on June 8. Looking to put behind the hiccup in Mexico, “El Niño Problema” shined that night in arguably the best performance of his UFC career, quickly submitting “The Ultimate Fighter 29” winner in less than three minutes. And just when you thought Rosas couldn’t top off the moment, then came his in-cage, post-fight interview.
“After my fight, I didn’t even have it planned or anything,” Rosas recalled. “I had won, and I was very happy with everything that went down, and it just came out and people loved it.”
‘Chiwiwis’ blows up
Soon after Rosas dropped “Chiwiwis” in the octagon, all social media platforms were overtaken by the clips of his post-fight interview at UFC on ESPN 57, but it wasn’t just a thing of the moment. The following day it was a big talking point in podcasts, memes and around social media. It was something Rosas didn’t expect.
“Yeah, totally,” Rosas said when asked if he was surprised by its virality. “When I said it, I did think people would get excited, but people were actually confused like, ‘What did this dude just say?’ I continued my speech and all that, and I didn’t make much of it.
“The next day, I see that it went viral and everyone was asking and dying to know what it meant and all that. I was like, ‘Wow, people really like this.’ I kind of ignored it and then people kept asking me for shirts and about the word, and I was like, ‘OK, let’s do this.'”
“Chiwiwis” became a staple of Rosas and it’s now even trademarked. He can’t do an interview without being asked about it, and fans can’t seem to get enough of it – which is why merch had to be made.
“Honestly, it’s gone very well,” Rosas said about the business side of “Chiwiwis.” “Everyone is supporting me. The truth is that I did it for the people. They all wanted me to release shirts the second I said the word. The whole gang was asking me where they could get shirts.
“I didn’t have plans on doing it, but I thought, ‘Well, if I don’t do it, someone else will.’ So I got on that. I called my friend, who invented the word, and between both of us we’ve been putting in the work and developing the brand. We’ve been doing really well, and I’m so thankful for everyone that supports me in everything I do.”
The meaning of ‘Chiwiwis’
Now we know where “Chiwiwis” came from and the impact it’s had in MMA. However, all of that is useless unless fans know what it actually means and how to properly use it.
Rosas and his friend define “Chiwiwis” as a word of excitement and joy. It’s mainly used to confirm a positive outcome, but it can also be used to simply cheer people up given its playful nature.
“It’s a word that shows excitement and happiness,” Rosas said. “It’s also a word that’s just fun and can make people’s day. It makes them laugh, and that’s awesome.”
To provide more context, Rosas was kind enough to share an example of its usage for MMA Junkie.
“If your friend is like, ‘Should I text this girl?’ and you go, ‘Yeah, go ahead,” and then the girl responds, you can say, ‘Chiwiwis,’ because you’re excited.”
19-year-old prospect Raul Rosas Jr. wants the UFC to give him a ranked opponent following his victory at UFC 306.
[autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] believes it’s time to take a big step in his fighting career.
Despite being just 19, making him the youngest fighter on the UFC roster, Rosas (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) wants to test himself against the elite of his division. That’s why he asks the UFC to give him a ranked bantamweight for his next outing.
“The thing about me is that I like challenges,” Rosas told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “I want a challenge. I want to test myself, and now I feel very comfortable being in the cage, and I keep getting more comfortable every time I step in there. I feel comfortable fighting a top-15 opponent.
“Personally, I know I’m ready. But even if I’m not ready, I’ll figure out a way to be ready for that date and opponent. If I’m ready, which I think I am, I can still get even more ready, so I can do more than just win, but actually finish and impress everyone, but more importantly the UFC so they can keep giving me fights toward the belt. That’s why I asked for somebody ranked. Either way, if I don’t get someone in the rankings, I want somebody that gets me a ranked opponent.”
Rosas is coming off a unanimous decision win over Aori Qileng (25-12 MMA, 3-4 UFC) at UFC 306 earlier this month. The victory put the Mexican-American on a three-fight winning streak.
Rosas is not too concerned about specific names. He just wants someone with a number next to their name.
“Against anyone really – I just care about getting the opportunity,” Rosas said. “There’s no one specific right now. All I want is the title. I want the title, so whatever fight takes me closer, that’s the fight I want.”
