A 17-year-old who busted butt during a UFC tryout is officially the organization’s youngest combatant ever.


This is 17-year-old Raul Rosas Jr., who had been handed a rare opportunity to fight an adult in front of Dana White on the penultimate episode from season six of Contender Series.

Raul Rosas Jr. prepares for his Contender Series bow.
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The Contender Series provides White with an outlet to identify up-and-coming talent he wants to funnel into the UFC. You don’t just need to win to earn a UFC deal, you have to do so in impressive fashion.

Contender Series studio.
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Jafel Filho scored a thumping knockout to kick off the action.

Jafel Filho won on Contender Series.
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See the 1-2 punch combination that put Echeverria on the floor right here:

The finish was so good that three of the UFC’s most powerful people — Sean Shelby, Dana White, and Mick Maynard — looked speechless Octagonside.

Sean Shelby, Dana White, and Mick Maynard.
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In the second fight of the night, Nurullo Aliev made it two finishes from two, with a first-round knockout over Josh Wick.

Nurullo Aliev beat Josh Wick in round one.
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Watch Aliev’s dominant win right here:

Up next was Austen Lane against Richard Jacobi, a fight which got off to a nasty start due to one of the most brutal low blows you’ll see all year.

Austen Lane kicks Richard Jacobi at heavyweight.
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Watch the devastating kick to the groin right here:

UFC boss Dana White later told Insider that it was one of the worst low blows he’d seen, and that Jacobi “should have taken the full five minutes” to allow him to sufficiently recover.

Former NFL defensive end Austen Lane maintained the Contender Series run of early finishes by putting Jacobi away in the first round.

Austen Lane finished Richard Jacobi in the first.
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Watch Lane transition from NFL to MMA with a Contender Series knockout right here:

Then it was time for Raul Rosas Jr.’s Contender Series bow — a fighter who had captivated a lot of pre-event attention because he is just 17 years old.

Raul Rosas Jr. makes his Contender Series bow.
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Considering his age, Rosas looked impressive in a three-round decision win against Mando Gutierrez at the Apex in Las Vegas.

Raul Rosas Jr. looked good for a teenage fighter.
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With his appearance, Rosas became — by far — the youngest fighter to compete on the Contender Series — younger than Chase Hooper (18), Maycee Barber (20), and Sean O’Malley (22).

Amongst the teenager’s box of tricks was this spinning back kick:

And this takedown in which he bamboozled Gutierrez by feinting a flying knee:

In this video from Insider, Rosas can be seen leaving the Octagon, victorious, before exchanging words with UFC boss Dana White:

In the final fight of the evening, Bruno Ferreira defeated Leon Aliu with another first-round knockout.

Brunno Ferreira.
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Ultimately, White liked what he saw enough during Tuesday’s auditions that he rewarded all five winners with UFC contracts — including the 17-year-old Rosas.

Dana White, UFC boss.
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Here’s the moment Rosas was welcomed to the UFC:

Contender Series finishes filming its sixth season Tuesday.


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