Raul Rosas Jr. is the youngest winner in UFC history. The 18-year old lived up to the lofty expectations placed on his shoulders with a first-round submission win over Jay Perrin at UFC 282 in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night.
Two months removed from his birthday, Rosas Jr. made his UFC debut as the preliminary card headliner. Perrin was by far the most experienced fighter that Rosas Jr. had faced in professional mixed martial arts. Perrin was 0-5 between UFC, Bellator and "Dana White's Contender Series" appearances but had 16 professional fights -- more than twice as many as Rosas Jr.
Perrin landed a nice left hook and jab early but was soon overwhelmed by Rosas Jr. The teen shot deep for a takedown, picked up Perrin and slammed him down. Rosas Jr. achieved a back take moments later and started hunting for a rear-naked choke. While Perrin initially did well to defend himself, Rosas Jr. eventually locked on the choke and forced Perrin to tap a little more than halfway into Round 1.
YOUNGEST FIGHTER IN UFC HISTORY WITH AN INCREDIBLE DEBUT FINISH 😨 #UFC282 @espnmma pic.twitter.com/r8jFwzvvfi
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 11, 2022
Rosas Jr. pleaded his case for a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus during his post-fight interview.
"I need that 50 Gs so I can buy my mom a minivan and she can give me a ride to the [UFC Performance Institute]," Rosas Jr. said.
Rosas Jr. first made headlines after receiving a UFC contract offer at age 17 for his September appearance on "Contender Series."
