The youngest UFC fighter in history, Raul Rosas Jr., is returning to action this weekend at the KFC Yum! Center. The 19-year-old will butt heads against Ricky Turcios in a three-round bantamweight bout at UFC Louisville. Rosas Jr. has already got people talking about how good he is, fighting at the highest level during his teenage years. But today, our sights are on uncovering the background of ‘El Nino Problema’.
At 19 years old, an 8-1 record for one Raul Rosas Jr. isn’t that bad given that he’s competing among the elites in the fight business. But the question that surrounds everybody’s mind is how it all starts for ‘El Nino Problema’. As such, let’s dive into the little-known facts about the young bantamweight star’s ethnicity and nationality.
What is Raul Rosas Jr.’s ethnicity?
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Born in 2004 in Clovis, New Mexico, Raul Rosas Jr. has many relatives in Mexico and has Mexican nationality despite being born in the USA. “I have a lot of family in Mexico that can’t go watch me fight live in the US,” said the 19-year-old to the UFC a few months ago when he was supposed to fight Ricky Turcios in Mexico City. As such, his ethnicity is the same as his nationality; he is a Mexican through and through.
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At a very young age, ‘El Nino Problema’ has shown the potential to become one of MMA’s biggest fighters in the future. He’s already beaten opponents much older than him, like Jay Perrin and Terrence Mitchell, and there’s no doubt why Raul Rosas Jr. can’t become a force to be reckoned with in years to come.
Becoming a professional athlete, let alone a UFC fighter is a tough hill to climb. As such, this dream needs some serious support from people around the person who aspires to get into professional sports. And that’s exactly how Raul Rosas Jr.’s parents supported his wish to become a part of Dana White‘s promotion.
Meet Raul Rosas and Oyuki Rios, the UFC star’s parents
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The parents of ‘El Nino Problema’ are immigrants named Raul Rosas and Oyuki Rios. While his father is a boxing coach, his mother works multiple part-time jobs. But is she still doing it? We don’t know, but things might be different now since the 19-year-old is a UFC fighter, although unranked at the moment. The whole striking game that Raul Rosas Jr. possesses can be credited to the numerous lessons he’s received from his father.
Raul Rosas Jr.'s family reacting to his debut win at #UFC282 is everything ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Xw2Pq7VGi6
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 11, 2022
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When Raul Rosas Jr. made his UFC debut, his parents and other members of his extended family were there, not in the arena but at home, witnessing their teenage boy live his dream under the brightest lights that MMA has to offer, and ESPN caught that reaction. Even Conor McGregor dropped a brief congratulatory message for the 19-year-old, which made his debut win even sweeter. ‘The Notorious’ did the same after Rosas Jr.’s win at Noche UFC.
Raul Rosas Jr.’s next challenge, Ricky Turcios, is a well-versed fighter with more experience than the 19-year-old. Will that extra experience come into play this weekend? Let us know what you think in the comments below.