Raul Rosas Jr set to return against Christian Rodriguez at UFC 287
18-year-old mixed martial arts star Raul Rosas Jr (7-0) already has his next bout lined up, as he’s slated to face 25-year-old fellow finisher Christian Rodriguez (8-1) at UFC 287.
UFC 287 is to go down on April 8, 2023, live from a to-be-determined venue.
Christian Rodriguez will most likely be the best opponent Rosas has fought thus far into his young career. He, like Rosas, had a successful amateur tenure prior to turning professional, going 5-2 with four finishes, while Rosas went 6-0 with four finishes.
Rodriguez, like Rosas, made his UFC debut with an undefeated record, though he’d fall short to Jonathan Pearce, losing the fight via unanimous decision. But the fact he didn’t get finished by Pearce says a lot, because Pearce wears on his opponents better than most up until he generally secures a finish.
In his sophomore effort with the promotion, Rodriguez submitted (anaconda choke) the 10-2 Joshua Weems in the first round of their clash back in October of last year.
Rosas on the other hand, coming into his own sophomore effort with the promotion, just submitted (rear-naked choke) 10-6 Jay Perrin, also in round one, last month in December.
In Rosas’ fight prior to joining the UFC, he defeated 7-1 opponent Mando Gutierrez via unanimous decision, racking up 12 minutes of control time in his only fight to go the distance. He’s certainly a youth beyond his years.
Of Rodriguez’ eight professional wins, three come via knockout with four submissions and just one decision, while of Rosas’ seven professional wins, one comes via knockout with five submissions and also just one decision.
Who walks away from this bantamweight bout going down at UFC 287 the victor?
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