Tag: Raul Rosas Jr.

UFC on ESPN 54 winner Caolan Loughran: ‘I feel like a d*ckhead’ calling out Raul Rosas Jr., but it makes sense

As a 27-year-old man, Caolan Loughran didn’t feel completely right calling out a teenager after his UFC on ESPN 54 win, but that’s the fight game for you.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – As a 27-year-old man, [autotag]Caolan Loughran[/autotag] doesn’t feel completely right calling out a teenager but, hey, that’s the fight game for you.

Loughran got back in the win column Saturday by earning a clean-sweep unanimous decision against Angel Pacheco at UFC on ESPN 54, with one judge awarding him a 30-26. Afterward, Loughran turned his attention to 19-year-old “d*ck lips” [autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] during his octagon interview.

Backstage at Boardwalk Hall, Loughran (9-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) expanded on his callout of Rosas (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) with MMA Junkie and other reporters.

I feel like a d*ckhead calling out a 19-year-old lad, but we’re in the same position, same record, let’s do it,” Loughran said.

They don’t exactly have the same record, but they’re close enough.

Loughran, a former Cage Warriors champion, continued his callout by throwing out some possible dates and locations – the expected July event in Manchester, England; the undercard of Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler (whenever that might be); and he’s even willing to face the young Mexican at the Sphere on Mexican Independence Day.

“We can do it (at) the pay-per-view in Manchester, we can do it on the undercard of Mac vs. Chandler, or we can go to the Sphere on Mexican Independence Day and have 15 f*cking million Mexicans boo me. I don’t give a f*ck,” Loughran sad. “We’ve got the same record now. I’m in no position to be calling out ‘Sugar’ (Sean O’Malley) or calling out Merab (Dvalishvili). But that’s a realistic fight.”

As for his early thoughts on the matchup?

“I think I’ll punch his f*cking head,” Loughran said. “He’s dangerous but stupid. Let’s go, Rosas. Let’s go.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.

Ricky Turcios casts doubt on quick UFC rebooking with ‘unprofessional’ Raul Rosas Jr., who ‘disrespected the Bushido code’

Ricky Turcios reacts to Raul Rosas Jr.’s withdrawal from UFC Fight Night 237 in Mexico City.

[autotag]Ricky Turcios[/autotag] got about as close as a UFC fighter can get to a fight without fighting, and he’s not happy about it.

Saturday, Turcios (12-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) was geared up and ready to walk out to fight [autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] on the main card of UFC Fight Night 237 in Mexico City. However, minutes before the walkout, it was announced Rosas (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) had withdrawn from the fight due to illness.

It was announced on the broadcast and later by UFC CEO Dana White that the Rosas-Turcios matchup was rebooked for this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 238 in Las Vegas. Turcios called the announcement “fake news” in an Instagram story he later deleted.

“Last night, Rosas Jr. said no fight literally 5 minutes before the walkout to the fight in the octagon,” Turcios wrote on Instagram. “Rosas Jr said no to facing me in front of hid 20,000 Mexican fans in Mexico City. Rosas Jr. disrespected the Bushido code, very unprofessional. Ricky ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ wins in Mexico City. Viva Mexico! Thank you to all my friends and family and all the fans. Love you all.”

It’s not unheard of for the UFC to announce plans for bookings without both sides of the contracts signed. The status of the Rosas-Turcios booking has not yet been made official by the UFC, but if the rebooking goes down Saturday like White said, it is expected to be at a catchweight.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 237.

UFC Fight Night 237 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Headliners get combined $17,000

UFC Fight Night 237 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

MEXICO CITY – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 237 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $135,500.

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 Fight Night 237 took place at Mexico City Arena. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 237 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Brian Ortega[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Daniel Zellhuber[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Fransisco Prado[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Yazmin Jauregui[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Sam Hughes[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Manuel Torres[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Chris Duncan[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Raoni Barcelos[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Cristian Quinonez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jesus Aguilar[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Mateus Mendonca[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Edgar Chairez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Daniel Lacerda[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Fares Ziam[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Claudio Puelles[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ronaldo Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Denys Bondar[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Felipe dos Santos[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Victor Altamirano[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Muhammad Naimov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Erik Silva[/autotag]: $4,000

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 2371 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 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 $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $1,228,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $23,935,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 237.

Raul Rosas Jr. illness cancels UFC Fight Night 237 bout vs. Ricky Turcios moments before walkout

Just moments before he was scheduled to walk to the cage, 19-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. pulled out of his fight vs. Ricky Turcios in Mexico.

UFC 19-year-old sensation [autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] will have to wait for his fourth appearance in the promotion after an illness pulled him from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 237 bout vs. Ricky Turcios.

Just moments before Rosas and Turcios were scheduled to make the walk to the cage at Mexico City Arena for their bantamweight bout, it was announced on the broadcast Rosas would not be able to compete.

According to UFC commentator Brendan Fitzgerald, Rosas started showing symptoms early Saturday that indicated he might not be able to fight. He went to the arena and attempted to warm up, but the call finally was made to cancel the fight.

Fitzgerald said UFC officials are attempting to reschedule the matchup for UFC Fight Night 238 next Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, but said that change was unconfirmed so far.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 237.

Raul Rosas Jr.: ‘Big things are going to come my way’ with UFC Mexico win

Raul Rosas Jr. has toned down on the grandiose claims about his future going into UFC Fight Night 237, at least outwardly.

MEXICO CITY – [autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] has toned down on the grandiose claims about his future going into UFC Fight Night 237, at least outwardly.

Rosas (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), who at 19 is the youngest active fighter on the UFC roster, has previously stated that he’s going to be the youngest champion in company history and would eventually win belts in three different divisions over the course of his career.

Naturally, that came with a lot of backlash, especially when Rosas lost for the first time in his career against Christian Rodriguez at UFC 287 in April 2023. He rebounded from that with a 54-second TKO of Terrence Mitchell at Noche UFC in September, and now Rosas will attempt to string together consecutive wins for the first time on the UFC stage when he faces Ricky Turcios (12-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) on Saturday’s card, which takes place at Mexico City Arena (ESPN+).

Every win in a fighter’s career is important for setting up a brighter future, and Rosas is no different. He thinks this matchup against Turcios is crucial as it should lead to an even more significant opportunity with a win.

“I’m happy with this fight,” Rosas told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 237 media day. “He’s another prospect, as well. He’s an ‘Ultimate Fighter’ champion, so with this fight, winning this fight is going to take me big places.

“Whatever comes, I just know a lot of big things are going to come my way winning this fight on Saturday night.”

Rosas comes from a Mexican background, so his excitement for UFC Fight Night 237 in Mexico City is genuine. There are some challenges fighting there, though, especially with the elevation sitting at 7,350 feet.

He thinks he’s properly trained for the unique elements of this fight and said he’s ready to shine.

“I came (early) and adapted,” Rosas Jr. said. “But I don’t really think the elevation is going to effect much. If you’re well prepared, I feel like you’re ready for anything.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 237.

UFC Fight Night 237 pre-event facts: Can Brian Ortega avoid fourth loss in five fights?

The best facts about UFC Fight Night 237, which features the return of Brian Ortega, who looks to get his career back on track.

The UFC returns to Mexico for the seventh time in its history on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 237, which takes place at Mexico City Arena in Mexico City and streams on ESPN+.

The main event will see former champion [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] (21-7-2 MMA, 9-3-2 UFC) take on [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC) in a rematch of their November 2020 bout, which Moreno won by first-round TKO.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 237.

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Brandon Moreno vs. Brandon Royval

Matchup Roundup: New UFC fights announced in the past week (Jan. 1-7)

All the UFC fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Jan. 1-7.

19-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. meets ‘TUF 29’ winner Ricky Turcios at UFC Fight Night in Mexico City

UFC’s return to Mexico City continues to take shape with the addition of a bantamweight bout between Raul Rosas Jr. and Ricky Turcios.

The lineup for UFC’s return to Mexico City continues to take shape with the addition of a bantamweight bout between [autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Ricky Turcios[/autotag].

Rosas Jr. (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), who at 19 is the youngest fighter on the UFC roster, announced on Friday that he will takes on “The Ultimate Fighter 29” winner Turcios (12-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night on Feb. 24, which takes place at Mexico City Arena (via X):

Rosas Jr. will attempt to string together octagon victories for the first time. After signing to the UFC as a 17-year-old through Dana White’s Contender Series, Rosas Jr. won his promotional debut by submission in December 2022, before experience his first career setback against Christian Rodriguez at UFC 287 in April.

“El Nino Problema” rebounded from the loss with a 54-second TKO of Terrence Mitchell at Noche UFC in September, and now he will attempt to put together back-to-back wins.

Looking to play spoiler will be Turcios, who has experienced a similarly turbulent UFC tenure. After claiming the “TUF 29” crown in August 2021, Turcios split results in his next two appearances. The 30-year-old hasn’t seen action since November 2022, however, and will attempt to get emerge triumphant following a career-long layoff.

The latest lineup for UFC Fight Night in Mexico City now includes:

  • Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi
  • Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez
  • Edgar Chairez vs. Daniel Lacerda
  • Victor Altamirano vs. Felipe dos Santos
  • Sam Hughes vs. Yazmin Jauregui
  • Chris Duncan vs. Manuel Torres
  • Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Ricky Turcios

Raul Rosas Jr. wants UFC to sign undefeated brother Jessie Rosas: ‘He’s knocking on the door’

Raul Rosas Jr. hopes to share a UFC card with his big brother, Jessie Rosas, in 2024.

[autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] wants to see his big brother get a UFC contract, and he believes that’s coming soon.

Raul (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) is confident that his brother, [autotag]Jessie Rosas[/autotag], will join the UFC roster in 2024. Jessie (5-0 MMA), who fights at bantamweight like Raul, is undefeated and just this year alone has logged three first-round submission wins, making him an enticing prospect.

“Yeah, I think he’s knocking on the door (of the UFC), and it’s just about waiting to see what happens,” Rosas told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “We’re hoping it happens as soon as possible, but until then we’re just focused on improving and continue fighting until it happens, but I think it’s going to happen very soon.”

Jessie trains alongside Raul in Las Vegas, and they both live in the same household with their parents. Jessie is 21, two years older than Raul, who’s currently the youngest fighter on the UFC roster.

Raul dreams of one day sharing a UFC card with his brother, and he would like to think that’s in store for 2024.

“That would be sick to be able to share a card together this year,” Raul said. “That would be incredible because we both put on a great show, and we’ll light up the arena when that moment comes.”

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Raul Rosas Jr. explains why Sean O’Malley being champion is both good and bad for UFC bantamweight division

Raul Rosas Jr. believes there are two sides to Sean O’Malley’s current reign as UFC bantamweight champion.

[autotag]Raul Rosas Jr.[/autotag] believes there are two sides to [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]’s reign as UFC bantamweight champion.

The 19-year-old prospect thinks that O’Malley holding the title at 135 pounds is a great thing but also a bad thing – especially if you’re a title-aspiring top contender.

Rosas (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), who one day hopes to fight for the belt, acknowledges the skill set and hype that O’Malley brings to the table, which is a good thing for anyone competing in the division. However, he also sees a possibility where that same stardom can get in the way of the natural course of the division.

“I think it’s good for the division because it brings more attention to the division,” Rosas told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “I know that he’s someone that, if we ever fight in the future, it’s a fight that would be huge in the division. I don’t know if it will ever happen because I think he’s looking for – like I don’t know if he’s going to defend his title much because I saw he was trying to fight Gervonta Davis and stuff like that, so I don’t know if he’s going to want to do other things.

“Also, the truth is that there are a lot of tough styles for him that are in title contention in my opinion: Merab being one of them. So let’s see what happens. … Him being champion, in a way it’s bad for the division, for the guys that truly deserve to fight for the title. But at the same time, it’s also good for the division because he brings a lot of attention.”

O’Malley, easily one of the biggest names in MMA, recently crowned himself champion. He knocked out Aljamain Sterling this past August at UFC 292 to win the bantamweight belt.

“Suga” is scheduled to return against the only man that’s ever beaten him, Marlon Vera. The two are set to rematch in March in the main event of UFC 299.

Like many, Rosas is split in this championship bout.

“I think that ‘Chito’ can beat him, but the truth is that the way I saw Sean O’Malley in his last fight, I think his is his best moment, so I think he’s more dangerous than when ‘Chito’ fought him the first time,” Rosas said. “However, I also feel ‘Chito’ broke him a bit, and having that is good. ‘Chito’ knows he broke him once, so entering a second fight, that’s going to help him.”

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