Raul Rosas Jr. Claims Victory at UFC 306 Through Grappling Strategy
Raul Rosas Jr.'s Historic Win
Raul Rosas Jr. has already accomplished a lot at 19 years old and now he can tout being the first winner at UFC 306 inside Sphere after picking up a decision win over Aoriqileng. He nearly scored a finish in the opening round after securing a takedown and looking for a submission, but Aoriqileng defended well enough to get out of the bad position.
Nothing came easy over the three-round fight, but repeated takedowns and ground control helped Rosas secure the victory with all the judges scoring the fight 29-28 in his favor. “It feels amazing,” Rosas said after the win. “Making history, just 19 years old. I’m just 19 years old with all these people behind me. Dana [White], it’s time to sit down to talk numbers with the kid.”
Dominance Through Grappling
Rosas seemed comfortable striking early, but with less than two minutes removed in the fight he secured his first takedown to put Aoriqileng on the canvas. From there, Rosas started hammering away to the head and body with ground-and-pound to loosen up Aoriqileng’s defense.
- Rosas advanced position to take side control and quickly jumped into the mount.
- He hunted for a rear-naked choke while landing punches.
Despite not securing the finish, Rosas showcased his grappling prowess. The fight saw him engage in offensive wrestling strategies that kept Aoriqileng on the defensive.
A Tough Fight Ahead
On the restart, Aoriqileng successfully shrugged off a couple of early takedown attempts but was wary of engaging for fear of another grappling exchange with Rosas. Competing at 19 years of age, Rosas displayed remarkable perseverance.
- Rosas took control again in the final round, tossing Aoriqileng to the ground.
- Despite efforts to finish with strikes, he maintained dominance until the final horn sounded.
It was another solid win for Rosas, although probably not the performance he wanted going to a decision with Aoriqileng as a heavy favorite on Saturday night. Ultimately, a win is a win and Rosas hopes that this latest performance secures him some top-15 competition in the near future.
This article was prepared using information from open sources in accordance with the principles of Ethical Policy. The editorial team is not responsible for absolute accuracy, as it relies on data from the sources referenced.