Former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor issued a message for Raul Rosas Jr. after his latest win.
This past Saturday, Rosas Jr. made his first appearance under the banner to take on Jay Perrin on the preliminary card of UFC 282, the final pay-per-view of the year. Rosas Jr. got off to a solid start early in the contest and scored an impressive first-round finish of Perrin by submission in his debut.
‘El Nino Problema’ etched his name in the history books as the youngest UFC fighter ever by defeating Perrin at the age of 18 years and 63 days. He broke the previous record of veteran Dan Lauzon, who debuted for the promotion at 18 years and 198 days old in 2006 at UFC 64.
Following the win, McGregor took to his Twitter to send a congratulatory message to Rosas Jr.
“Paul Rosas- great debut, watching you!”
While he did misspell Raul’s first name, McGregor let the rising prospect know he would keep a keen eye on him.
Rosas Jr. Reacts to McGregor’s Message
In a post-fight media interview with BT Sport, Rosas Jr. shared his response to the praise he received from McGregor.
“It means a lot. Someone like him that took the sport to the next level; that’s something I’m really trying to do too. He took it to the next level, and I’m trying to get it and take it to the next level, and I hope someone comes and takes it to the next level. We just keep improving.
Rosas Jr. lauded ‘The Notorious’ for his contributions to the game and expressed his gratitude for the mention.
“People like him make the sport great. He got more eyes; of course, he made the UFC bigger. So yeah, it means a lot, those words that he said coming from him. I appreciate Conor McGregor.
“I feel like he doesn’t get the respect that he deserves. In my opinion, nobody did what he’s done, and right now, nobody’s close to what he has done. It really means a lot to me coming from him.”
Rosas Jr. Is Happy With the Win but Not Satisfied
During the post-fight press conference, Rosas Jr. gave his take on getting the first official UFC victory under his belt.
“I feel really happy but not satisfied. I’m ready to step back in there as soon as possible and get what I really want, which is the title,” said Rosas Jr. “The victory came out as planned, but what I’m saying is that I still don’t have what I want. What I want is the belt right here with me so I’m still not satisfied. I’m really happy with my performance tonight, but I won’t be satisfied until that belt is wrapped around my waist.”
When asked to confirm whether he was interested in competing again in seven days, Rosas Jr. discussed the ideal options ahead.
“Yeah, if there’s an opening next week, I’m ready to go back in there next weekend. If not, I’m ready to step back in there in January for Brazil. Me and Brandon Moreno can represent the Mexico flag, and it’ll be an amazing night.”
0 Comments