Teenage MMA sensation Raul Rosas Jr. has already etched his name in history before even having a sniff at championship gold. The 9-1 record holder is the youngest fighter to ever compete inside the Octagon and even had a triumphant debut with a well-received performance. With such an impressive resume already, and becoming a popular name day by day, there’s a growing interest in fans to know more about Rosas Jr.

Currently residing in the Californian city of Santa Rosa, Raul Rosas Jr. trains in the home of the UFC, Las Vegas. Well, these details often pop up when talking about fighters and their affiliations with gyms. However, what we don’t talk much about is Rosas Jr.’s social and cultural background, so let’s give it a go!

What is Raul Rosas Jr.’s ethnicity and nationality?

Raul Rosas Jr. was born in the city of Clovis in the state of New Mexico, which makes him an American citizen. However, he is of Mexican ethnicity and the 19-year-old never fails to show how much he has for his roots. As such, Rosas Jr. also possesses Mexican citizenship, according to certain sources. The 9-1 bantamweight fighter has also been seen sporting the Mexican flag during a weigh-in event.

Fighting in the United States in front of the most passionate UFC fans is a big opportunity, but Raul Rosas Jr. got an even bigger opportunity to fight in Mexico, in front of his family and friends. However, ‘El Nino Problema’ happened to fall ill, which forced him to pull out of the scheduled bout on his team’s suggestion, which was rebooked months later.

Raul Rosas Jr. had no problems throwing down his fist even when he was ill, but his father advised him otherwise. In fact, his father, and his mother’s impact on his goal to achieve success is seemingly immeasurable.

Meet Raul Rosas Sr. and Oyuki Rios, the UFC star’s parents

‘El Nino Problema’s father, Raul Rosas Sr., and his mother, Oyuki Rios, luckily got away from a dangerous environment when they were in Mexico. They lived in the city of Iztapalapa, a notorious region in the country. You wouldn’t believe it, but Iztapalapa reportedly had the second-highest crime rate in Mexico last year. They’d reportedly move from there to the United States, and his father would find himself working as a boxing coach. Oyuki, on the other hand, would do a variety of gigs, most working as a housekeeper, while Raul Rosas Jr. realized his UFC dream.

The most important thing that Raul Rosas Jr. wants to do through his UFC career is the betterment of his family. “I want to help out my family to move forward, and so we can continue moving up,” he told ‘MMA Junkie’ in 2022. By the looks of his run at the moment, he has been successful to a certain extent.

When Raul Rosas Jr. emerged Triumphant on his UFC debut, his parents were understandably ecstatic in a video ESPN shared of his relatives back in Mexico. Even Conor McGregor would join the celebrations with a congratulatory message about ‘El Nino Problema’. With the support of the UFC’s biggest superstar, the only way for Rosas Jr. is up, and it depends on how he navigates his UFC stint.

Raul Rosas Jr. is returning for another challenging bout against an experienced Aori qileng at UFC 306. Let us know your predictions for the fight on September 14 in the comments down below.