Raul Rosas Jr. delivered one of the most dominant performances of his young career. Using relentless grappling and a relentless pace, the 21-year-old overwhelmed veteran Rob Font, controlling the action from start to finish and securing a convincing victory that further cemented his place as one of the division’s most intriguing young contenders.
“I’ve been working so hard for this moment. I wish I could have got the finish, but either way, I feel like the performance was good and I passed this test with flying colors,” Rosas Jr told reporters including Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.
“It means a lot being able to connect with the fans and they’re always showing love. I appreciate everybody’s supporting me along the way.”
Rosas Jr (12-1) said he expected a cautious approach from the veteran once the fight hit the mat, especially given how dangerous the submission exchanges became.
While he was able to maintain control throughout the grappling sequences, he admitted Font’s defensive awareness made it difficult to fully lock in a finish.
“I knew he was going to play it safe, but he played it more safe than I thought. Every time I felt like the submission was there, he would reset, and he just wouldn’t give me anything. Props to him,” he said.
Rosas Jr. said the victory represented a significant milestone in his development, especially against a veteran who has consistently faced the top names in the bantamweight division.
For the rising prospect, the win served as validation that he’s ready to begin testing himself against the division’s elite.
“Rob Font’s been in there with the best and I passed this test with flying colors,” he said.
“So I’m ready to compete against the best in the world. If I’m not ready, I’ll figure out how to be ready, I got the best team now. I’m with the (MMA) Lab. I got good people around me that are going to help me get ready for any challenge that’s ahead of me.”
Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Raul Rosas Jr above.