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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Raul Rosas Jr. knows he’s ready for ranked competition but he’s also trusting in the UFC to do right by him.

Following a win over Aoriqileng at UFC 306, the 19-year-old prospect immediately called for a top 15 opponent but that’s not a demand. Instead, Rosas just wants the chance to propel his career forward with hopes that he’ll eventually find himself in title contention.

“If I would have went out there and got the finish, I would for sure have a good argument to get a top 15 [opponent],” Rosas told MMA Fighting. “I want a top 15 [opponent] but if my next fight is not against a top 15 fighter, I want somebody that the UFC would be like ‘if you beat this guy, we’ll give you a ranked opponent next.’ But either way, I want to be that close.

“I just want fights that will get me closer to the belt. I don’t want to fight somebody that I’ll just beat and I stay in the same spot. I want to beat somebody that will get me way closer to the belt.”

Rosas has long stated that he wants to become UFC champion but he also acknowledges that he’s got plenty of time to get there.

While beating a ranked opponent would certainly speed along that process, Rosas realizes that there are plenty of UFC veterans without a number next to their name that still count as a quality win.

Facing a veteran like Aoriqileng with nearly 40 fights on his record gave Rosas some valuable experience but now he just wants the chance to step up to the next rung on the ladder when it comes to the hierarchy in the UFC’s bantamweight division.

“That’s the ultimate goal,” Rosas said about becoming UFC champion. “Regardless, I’m still getting more experienced. Every fight I’m getting better and better.

“Like this fight, I took it as a way to get more experience because it was a step up in competition. He was the best fighter that I fought so far. He was like a veteran, he was able to stay relaxed and he’s got power in his hands, good takedown defense so it was a step up in competition but the right step up. If I get another fight like that, the right step up then I’ll take it.”

When it comes to timing, Rosas admits that he would love to get one more fight before the end of the year but he’s not ready to commit to a date just yet with some lingering injuries that need to heal.

“I’m not 100 percent healthy,” Rosas said. “I have a few injuries from the fight, I injured my knee a little bit. It’s getting better. But I had injuries before the fight and they’re still messed up. I’m going to try to heal those up and once I get healed up, I’ll book a fight.

“I do want to fight in December but if I book it right now, I don’t want to risk to have to pull out because I haven’t recovered. So I want to make sure I recover 100 percent and then I’ll book a fight.”

If December doesn’t happen, Rosas revealed that he probably won’t fight again until at least April 2025 because he wants to enjoy some time with his family around the holidays. Like most teenagers his age, Rosas would really love a Christmas break, especially after missing out this past year.

“I’ll be honest, I don’t want to fight January, February or March,” Rosas said. “If I do get one in, I want it to be this year or a little bit after March. Because I want to be able to enjoy Christmas.

“Last year, I didn’t get to enjoy it because I had a fight in February so I had to train all December and January. Even though the fight didn’t happen because I got sick the day of the fight but I had been training since December. I’m not going to lie, it kind of sucked so this year I want to enjoy Christmas.”

Rosas expects to know within a couple weeks whether or not he’ll be healthy enough to fight again in 2024, especially with a potential grappling match on the horizon in October.

“I’m already training,” Rosas said. “I’m already in camp because I think I have a big grappling match coming up, a big name, but obviously I can’t really say [yet], nothing’s signed, nothing’s confirmed yet but I got the offer and I said yes. We’ll see if that goes through and that will happen Oct. 26.”

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Daniel Cormier recently pushed back against Donald Cerrone’s plans for a UFC comeback following his revelation of using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) during his retirement.

Earlier this week, “Cowboy”, who retired from the UFC in July 2022, revealed plans to come out of retirement with an ambitious goal—reaching the achievement of 50 total bouts under the Zuffa banner. The 41-year-old fan favorite has racked up 38 UFC fights, placing him third in the promotion’s history—excluding the 10 more bouts he logged in the WEC.

Cerrone also disclosed that he’s been on Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) and other PEDs throughout his time away from the Octagon. Now, he’s working to flush these substances out of his system, aiming to rejoin the drug-testing pool and make his return for two more fights.

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A post shared by Donald Cerrone (@cowboycerrone)

However, Cormier isn’t on board with Cerrone’s plan to return to active competition after openly admitting to using steroids during his hiatus. In a recent video on his YouTube channel, the former two-division UFC champion voiced his firm disapproval, stating that “Cowboy” actions could set a troubling precedent.

“DC” argued that it might inspire other fighters to temporarily withdraw from testing protocols, exploit their time off, and return with an unfair advantage.

“For years now, he’s been openly using steroids. I don’t quite know what it is, but he’s not been clean. And even if he can come back, take tests, and pass those tests, for him to get back, he has to do all of those things and all those enhancers to allow him to feel like he can compete at that level again.

So he would test clean, but isn’t that just a loophole? Isn’t it just a loophole like with the guys, when they get hurt, they get out of the testing pool? They recover from the injury; then they re-enter the testing pool.”

– DC on Cowboy Cerrone wanting to fight again

Cerrone last fought at UFC 276, where he suffered a submission loss to Jim Miller. Despite this setback, his career is impressive, featuring 18 post-fight bonuses—the most in UFC history, a record he shares with Charles Oliveira. He is tied for the second-most wins in UFC history with 23, alongside Andrei Arlovski, and holds 16 finishes, second only to Miller.

In recognition of his legendary career, Cerrone was inducted into the modern wing of the UFC Hall of Fame in March 2023.

• Read More: Dana White ‘Hates Donald Cerrone’s UFC Comeback Idea

Continue Reading Cormier Opposes Cerrone’s Possible UFC Return Following PED Admission at MMA News.

MMA News

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Francis Ngannou’s MMA return happens this Saturday as the PFL returns to pay-per-view for Battle of the Giants in Saudi Arabia. With the PFL needing to badly get some buzz, does Ngannou have to beat Renan Ferreira — not just for himself, but for the PFL as a whole?

On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel discusses Saturday’s big fight card, how important it is that the card delivers as a whole, and what happens based on the result of the main event. Additionally, topics include Dana White once again ripping the UFC rankings panel after UFC 307, the promotion returning to the APEX this Saturday for UFC Vegas 99 headlined by Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira, Donald Cerrone announcing he’s ending his retirement with hopes of two more UFC bouts, UFC 310 fight announcements including Belal Muhammad vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov for the welterweight title, and more.

Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew and UFC lightweight Grant Dawson.

Watch the show live at 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT in the video above.

If you missed the show live, you can still watch above, or listen to the podcast version, which can be found below and on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your pods.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

PFL co-founder Donn Davis continues to lay down the gauntlet to Dana White and the UFC.

Davis spoke to the media ahead of Saturday’s PFL: Battle of the Giants pay-per-view in Saudi Arabia, headlined by Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira. The outspoken Davis went on to explain why White is afraid of booking a PFL vs. UFC cross-promotional event.

“Yes, the UFC’s brand name is bigger, we recognize that, we’re the new guy,” Davis said. “We have to work harder. We’re in year five, they’re in year 30. But if push came to shove, and it was five fights — we pick five, they pick five — let me tell you, they wouldn’t do that. Because we’d win half, and they’d win half. … That’s why Dana, hashtag Dana scared, would never do that. He knows that and we know that.

“But be fans of all of us. We love all fighting, we root for all fighters. Watch them both.”

Davis has not been afraid to speak his mind when it comes to White, the UFC, and the strength of the PFL roster. In fact, Davis believes that the winner of Ngannou’s return to the MMA cage for the first time since making the choice to vacate the UFC heavyweight title and sign with PFL — no matter who wins — is the best in the world at the weight class.

Another gauntlet was laid down by Davis for current UFC heavyweight champ Jon Jones to face Ngannou, or the winner of this fight.

“This is the fight everyone wants to see,” Davis explained. “Whoever comes out of this fight is the No. 1 [heavyweight] in the world. So whoever wants to claim the No. 1 spot goes through the winner of this fight — not through the UFC, this fight. So whoever wants to claim that position better be calling us after Saturday, not calling them.

“We’ve said at PFL, we want to give fans what they want. … Francis Ngannou has said he’ll take on all comers. I think Jon Jones wants to cement his legacy. There’s only one obstacle to that fight, and we know who that is.”

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Let’s go
| BJPenn.com

UFC

Hollywood leading lady Sydney Sweeney returns to the big screen to play former WBC super welterweight champion and boxing hall of famer Christy Martin in a new biopic from Black Bear Pictures, directed by David Michod.

To help prepare for the role, Sweeney underwent rigorous physical training to transform her body to look more like a professional athlete. Some of her recent Instagram photos reflect those changes, leaving her nearly unrecognizable.

“Well the cat’s out of the bag thanks to some [paparazzi] in the bushes so here’s a little BTS from my film I’m working on right now,” Sweeney wrote. “Over the past few months, I’ve been immersed in training to bring to life the story of an incredible woman — a true champion who fought battles both inside and outside the ring. Her journey is a testament to resilience, strength, and hope, and I’m honored to step into her shoes to share her powerful story with you all. More to come soon.”

Fighter biopics are all the rage these days.

In addition to her trailblazing run throughout the 1990s, Martin had a tumultuous personal life, surviving a murder attempt by her then-husband in 2010. “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” now 56, finished with a professional record of 49-7-3 with 32 knockouts.

The untitled project does not yet have a release date.

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