Raul Rosas Jr. may be only 19 years old, but he has lofty expectations.
“I’m ready to begin my journey for the belt,” Rosas Jr. said in a recent interview with UFC.com. “Give me a chance to fight somebody that’s going to put me up there faster. I feel like that’s what I want.”
The Dana White’s Contender Series alum will square off against Qileng Aori in a bantamweight bout at UFC 306 on Saturday night at The Sphere in Las Vegas. Rosas has been victorious in three of his four Octagon appearances thus far and is looking forward to the challenge that his Chinese opponent presents.
“My opponent’s good, he’s tough, he’s durable, he’s experienced. I give him props,” Rosas Jr. said. “I’m excited to step in the cage with him and put him out. I visualized this fight that I’m going to go out there and finish him. I’m excited because he does have good striking, he does have some power in his hands. He’s dangerous as well. So it’s gonna be a really good fight for the people, [and] for us. I know that me going out there finishing someone like him is going to put me in a good spot for my career.”
UFC 306: O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!
Rosas Jr. defeated Terrence Mitchell at the inaugural Noche UFC event last year, and he requested to be part of the promotion’s event at the Sphere, which will pay tribute to Mexican Independence Day with what has been promised to be a spectacular show.
“The energy for sure is gonna be cool because I know whoever makes it to the Sphere is going to be really excited for the Mexican people,” Rosas Jr. said. “They’re gonna be having a nice show, it’s gonna be like a movie. I know that the people are going to be really hyped up and I’m excited to see it.”
If he defeats Aori, Rosas Jr. will move one step closer to achieve his ultimate goal of winning championship gold.
“I get the job done, I’m thinking a good name will come after, whether it’s someone ranked or not,” he said. “This is a really good test, but as somebody wins in the UFC , the fights keep getting harder and harder. This is a step up in competition this Saturday. I feel like if I go out there and finish him, good things are going to come my way.”
