Raul Rosas Jr.’s Medical Condition: Explaining Pallister W Syndrome That Affects His Lips, Teeth and Face

18-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. made waves in the MMA community when he became the youngest fighter to ever fight in the UFC. However, his journey to becoming one of the most highly-rated prospects involved hardships outside the cage. ‘El Nino Problema’ has a medical condition and is suffering from a rare genetic disorder.

There have been many fighters who’ve recovered from debilitating illnesses to steer their UFC careers to the right path, including Robert Whittaker and Brock Lesnar, to say the least. However, a fighter who already suffers from a medical condition never joined the UFC until Raul Rosas Jr., who suffers from Pallister W Syndrome, arrived at the scene.

What happened to Raul Rosas Jr.’s jaw?

Pallister W Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that was first described as an adult phenotype by Pallister in 1977. This disorder causes changes in the facial structure of a person. The facial features associated with Pallister W Syndrome are clefting of the palate and the upper lip, a broad flat nose, the eyes set far apart, and a down-slanting eyelid fold. It also affects the teeth as well. In addition to that, there are other symptoms like limb deformities, speech problems, and even seizures. Pallister W Syndrome is also a known hereditary condition.

However, suffering from such a condition did not stop Raul Rosas Jr. from realizing his dream in the UFC. He came through Dana White‘s Contender Series and made a triumphant debut at UFC 282, but suffered a loss in the next one at UFC 287. However, the 18-year-old was able to dust himself off and return with a knockout win at Noche UFC last year. But his road to the UFC was a bumpy one. Rosas Jr. even needed a special permit to fight in Dana White’s promotion.

‘El Nino Problema’ required a different license to earn his UFC contract

Raul Rosas Jr. started his MMA journey when he was 15 years old. However, it was all up to the promoter to whether he’d be allowed to fight. However, Rosas Jr. and his family convinced the promoter of an Indian area. When he made his pro debut, he fought people who were over 30 years old. But the 18-year-old had to jump through a lot of hoops until he had done the paperwork for the special permission of his parents and his sponsor.

“The commission already approved it. I already did the paperwork. All I had to do was notary. My friend signed it. That’s the only thing that I had to do. Jason House did all the rest. I think he sent film to the commission and said why I’m ready to compete at this level and the commission approved,” said Raul Rosas Jr. in an exclusive interview with ‘MMA Junkie‘. If the special permit had not been granted, we may not have witnessed ‘El Nino Problema’ fight in the UFC.

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The Pallister W Syndrome has never affected the young Raul Rosas Jr.’s fighting spirit. Furthermore, after his first loss, he came back like a champion even though he is still a teenager, showing great grit and determination. Rosas Jr. is now gearing up for his upcoming fight against Ricky Turcios at UFC Louisville on June 8 and will seek to maintain his winning momentum.

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