Sean O’Malley wasn’t shocked by the result of Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Christian Rodriguez at UFC 287 this previous weekend (April 8, 2023).
The Bantamweight division is an ever-expanding pool of expertise out and in of UFC. A number of of the promotion’s latest rising stars lately have come from Dana White’s Contender Sequence, together with the likes of each the No. 2-ranked contender, O’Malley, and 18-year-old prospect, Rosas.
Sadly for Rosas, he suffered his first profession setback this previous weekend, opening the principle card reverse the aforementioned Rodriguez. After a powerful begin in spherical one, Rosas light a bit down the stretch and was finally out-grappled by his opponent en path to a unanimous determination loss.
“There’s positively guys within the division that he can go on the market and beat,” O’Malley mentioned of Rosas on his TimboSugarShow podcast (h/t MMA Junkie). “I don’t even suppose he must go on the market and get a win. He must go on the market and get higher. Take two years off. Raise. F—king grind. … I believe he ought to keep at 135. Simply don’t struggle for a few years. Get good. Simply enhance in every single place [and] come again.”
Rosas made his Octagon debut this previous Dec. 2022, incomes a powerful first-round rear-naked choke submission in opposition to Jay Perrin (watch highlights) at UFC 282. Having been in the same place and as assured as they arrive, O’Malley believes the loss generally is a very helpful lesson for “El Nino Problema.”
“I referred to as that. I mentioned I believe Christian Rodriguez goes to be an excessive amount of,” O’Malley mentioned. “[He] trains at f—king health club. Doesn’t imply Raul Rosas Jr. is finished, however I imply, the place do you go from right here? Perhaps you don’t even signal him at that age — you let him struggle for 2, three years, rack up some extra wins. … However UFC, that’s the danger they’re prepared to take. ‘Hey, we’re going to have a possible star.’ He nonetheless may be. I don’t know.
“I mentioned he’s going to return out frantic, attempt to do what he does most likely to most individuals on the health club: take him down, take their again, choke them,” he concluded. “But when not, he’s going to fuel. He can’t hold that tempo.”
For full UFC 287 outcomes and protection click on right here.
