Raul Rosas Jr. and Aorikirengu at the UFC 306 official weigh-in. Photo by Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press
Top Mexican prospect and rising UFC star Raul Rosas Jr. faced off against “The Mongolian Killer” Aorikirengu on Saturday at UFC 306 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
The highly hyped “Noche UFC” (hosted, somewhat inexplicably, by Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia) will either be made or broken by its overall production and the content of the fights, but at the end of the day it’s the action that matters, and Rosas has proven capable of delivering just that.
Rosas began the bantamweight bout with a few kicks, but was also warned for extending a finger. The 19-year-old continued his offensive with plenty of kicks, but neither man had much success, and the bout was taken to the ground around the three-minute mark, with Rosas gaining the upper hand. Rosas skillfully transitioned to side control and then mount. Aorikiren tried to shake Rosas off, but allowed himself to be taken to the back. Rosas landed hooks and eventually a body lock, but Aorikiren was able to resist the punches.
Unfortunately, Raul Rosas Jr. ran out of time in the first round. The first half of the second round was a stand-up affair with few notable hits landed, but things changed in the second half of the round as Rosas started to land punches and Aorikirengu started to fight back, getting the crowd going. The two continued to trade kicks to the body and the fight looked like it would go all the way to a full round.
Rosas Jr. turned the tide of the match with a takedown for the third time within the first minute. Aorikiren scrambled to the fence to get up, only to be slammed down right away. Rosas quickly switched to side control, then took back control with Aorikiren on his knees. Speaking of knees, Rosas landed a few shots to the body, but Aorikiren scrambled again and fell to his back with Rosas in his guard.
With Rosas continuing to apply pressure from above, Aorikilengu was unable to get off his back and Raul Rosas Jr. earned the decision victory, improving to 4-1 under the UFC banner at just 19 years old.
Official result: Raul Rosas Jr. defeats Aorikirengu via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)