Raul Rosas Jr. is a Mexican-American UFC fighter competing in the bantamweight division. He is also the youngest competitor to ever compete inside the Octagon at 18 years old. He appeared on Dana White’s Contender Series at the young age of just 17. Rosas Jr. quickly built a name for himself and won the respect of fight fans worldwide.
He demonstrated good striking and wrestling in his debut at the Contender Series. Dana White and Hunter Campbell were so impressed that they decided to give him a UFC contract. At UFC 282, Raul Rosas Jr. faced Jay Perrin, where he got a quick submission victory with a succession of takedowns to set up a rear-naked choke.
It is not easy to become a huge MMA star in such a short time. The youngest UFC fighter must have a good group of supporters, friends, and family. Rosas Jr. is grateful for what his parents have given and looks to be on a path to success despite coming from humble beginnings. That brings us to the question of who Rosas Jr’s parents are.
Who are Raul Rosas Jr’s Parents?
Mexican immigrants raised the youngest fighter in UFC history in New Mexico. Raul Rosas Sr. works as a boxing coach. His mother, Oyuki Rios, works various part-time jobs. Rosas Jr developed his striking skills all thanks to the tutelage of his father. He has excellent BJJ skills as well.
Raul Rosas Sr. and Oyuki Rios are the parents of the youngest UFC fighter (Image via Open Source/Instagram)Boxing requires high discipline. His father also coaches the gym associated with his son. Hailing from Mexico, Rosas Sr. and Oyuki moved to Santa Fe to give their kids better facilities and futures. The couple has two more sons, other than Rosas Jr, and a daughter.
Raul Rosas Jr wants to buy a Mini-Van for his mom
After defeating Jay Perrin via submission, the young fighter took advantage of his post-fight interview to convince Dana White to give him the post-fight bonus. At the time, Rosas Jr. did not have a driver’s license. Hence, his mother drove him to attend training sessions. This is what Rosas Jr. said:
I need them 50G’s so I can buy my mother a minivan, and she can give me a ride to the PI.
Raul Rosas Jr. via post-fight press conference
Raul Rosas Jr. wanted to buy a mini-van for his mom (Open Source/X)From such a humble background, Raul Rosas Jr. wanted his mother to give him a mini-van. The young fighter understood his parents’ struggle to give him and his siblings the best life possible. The parents accompany the young fighter for all his fights.
Raul Rosas Jr.’s parents exemplify the strong will of Immigrants in the US
Rosas Jr.’s parents hail from Mexico. They remain dedicated to their family and work. In a time in the US when Donald Trump wanted to build walls to keep the immigrants out, Rosas Family somehow got into the country through legal procedures. Since entering the country, they have worked hard to provide for their children and support them in their endeavors and decisions.
Parents of Raul Rosas Jr. are immigrants from Mexico (Image via Open Source/MMA Fighting)The hardworking nature of the Rosas family deserves the recognition and rewards they reaped with the success of Raul Jr. The father worked in various gyms as a boxing coach and simultaneously coached his son, which made him a disciplined young fighter. They utilized everything they got in the new country and reaped the rewards of their dedication.
How did the parents handle Raul Rosas Jr.’s UFC Mexico City pullout?
‘El Nino Problema’ was supposed to fight Ricky Turcois at UFC Mexico City in February 2024. At the last minute, he was pulled from the fight card. In an Instagram post, Rosas Sr. revealed that his son had dizziness and low energy before the fight. Health is wealth. Therefore, the father saw no reason to let his son fight and decided to withdraw from the scheduled three-round bout.
Raul Rosas Jr. and his family (Image via Open Source/Instagram)The father did what he thought was right and didn’t receive any backlash for the last-minute pullout. It goes to show how the Rosas household has a plan for everything. A few months later, the UFC rebooked the bout, and the young fighter won via submission in an excellent performance. The decision paid dividends, as he may have lost fighting in February, not feeling 100 percent.
