Rising fighter Rosas Jr. takes on Chinese foe in UFC 306

MANILA, Philippines – Raul Rosas Jr. may be fighting in the preliminary cards of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) at the moment, but make no mistake, the world’s top combat sports organization is keenly following this young Mexican-American bantamweight.

Rosas (9-1-0) will be taking on Chinese counterpart Qileng Aori (25-11-0, 1 NC) on Sunday, September 15, at The Sphere in Las Vegas. This massive UFC event will be televised live in the Philippines on the Premier Sports and Tap Sports channels on Sky Cable and Cignal as well as on the Blast TV streaming app.

The early prelims where the Rosas-Qileng fight takes place gets underway at 7:30 a.m. while the preliminary card begins at 8 a.m. The main card, which features main eventer Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili and co-main event fighters Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko, is at 10 a.m.

Before the Zoom interview, Rosas Jr. asked permission from this writer if the interview could take place an hour earlier.

“I have to catch the Mass at 6 p.m.,” he said.

Rosas makes no bones of his staunch Catholic faith, one instilled in his by his parents. “I have to be thankful for the blessings and opportunities,” the 19-year old fighter said. “I am living out my dream of fighting in the UFC.”

And what a fight event will this be as it will be the first real sporting held at the high-tech Sphere.

“It means more people will be even watching and I have to be at my best,” said Rosas Jr., who is 3-1 in the UFC.

He hopes to hike up his win-loss slate, yet standing in his way is Qileng, a wily veteran at 31 years of age and a ton of experience. 

“You cannot take him lightly even if he is fighting in the early prelims,” pointed out Rosas Jr. “He is as tough as they come and is a smart fighter.”

Despite being a veteran mixed martial arts fighter, Qileng is only 3-3, 1NC in the UFC.

Most of Qileng’s fights go the distance while Rosas ends his fights in the first or the second round.

“Yes, I know it is a strategy of my opponents to take me to the third round where they think I have no cardio for long fights. But I do. It doesn’t matter what round. What is important is that I get the win.”

In his previous bout, Rosas Jr. dispatched Filipino-American fighter Ricky Turcios, who he submitted with a rear naked choke in the second round. 

“That was a tough fight because Ricky and I have very similar fighting styles. Am lucky to have gotten the submission.”

Against the Chinese fighter who is a submission specialist, Rosas hopes to be in his face all match long. “Get him to abandon his game plan and to go on the defensive,” he said of his strategy. “But to fight smart. And get the win as soon as I can.”