Raul Rosas Jr. acknowledges he probably didn’t deserve a post-fight bonus after his unanimous decision win at UFC 306 but argues his ability to draw a crowd could justify additional compensation, while expressing overall satisfaction with his current UFC contract and eagerness for future opportunities.
Raul Rosas Jr. gets why he got some puzzled looks after asking for a post-fight bonus. He had just secured a unanimous decision win over Aoriqileng at UFC 306.
No controversy surrounded his victory, but the 19-year-old bantamweight won with 29-28 scorecards across the board. It wasn’t a wild, all-out war deserving Fight of the Night honors.
He didn’t get a finish either, which is almost a given for Performance of the Night consideration. So, why did Rosas ask for that bonus?
“It was just the heat of the moment,” Rosas told MMA Fighting. “I’m used to getting finishes and asking for it after, so it just came out.”
Rosas admits he probably didn’t deserve the bonus based on performance alone. But he believes other metrics should be considered.
“The way I’d argue for it—don’t get me wrong, it was a unanimous decision, so I’m okay with not getting it because I should’ve got a finish—but if I had gotten it, my argument would be the people showed up because of me,” Rosas said.
He pointed out that serving as the opening fight on the prelims drew a crowd early. “The event was packed because of me. They were there early because I was on the prelims.”
“I’m not trying to be cocky,” Rosas added, “but a lot of people came to watch me fight. With them putting me in the first fight on the prelims, I made a lot of people show up and tune in right away.”
Rosas credits Aoriqileng for making it a tougher fight than many expected. Despite earning a dominant position in the opening round and searching for a rear-naked choke submission, he couldn’t put Aoriqileng away.
“I knew he was going to be tough,” Rosas said. “He has 25 wins, 11 losses—that’s a lot of experience. I knew he’d be calm but also knew I’d get the job done.”
“I wish I would’ve got the finish,” he continued, “but he defended well when I got to his back. He stayed relaxed. I knew he’d be tough. I’m okay with my performance though.”
Later in his post-fight interview, Rosas mentioned wanting to sit down with UFC CEO Dana White to talk numbers. This led some to think he was unhappy with his current financial situation.
However, Rosas clarifies that’s not the case. Sure, like everyone else, he wants more money but isn’t complaining about how UFC treats him.
Rosas also wants to face ranked competition soon—a topic likely to come up in any meeting with UFC brass. “We’ll sit down and see what’s next and talk numbers,” Rosas said.
He feels like he brings in a lot of fans and deserves an opportunity to test himself against higher-ranked opponents. “It’s good working with [the UFC], they’ve been great with me.”
“We’re all on the same page,” he added. “Everything’s fine. Everything’s perfect. I’m happy with my contract… we’ll see what’s next.”
Right now, Rosas believes he still has two fights left on his current UFC contract. He’s not looking to go anywhere else.
More than anything, he wants to keep proving his worth to the company. Bringing in a crowd for the first fight of the night at Sphere was a great way to show his growing appeal.
“It doesn’t matter where I’m at on the card,” Rosas said confidently. “People are going to tune in regardless… The Sphere was already packed with me in the first fight.”
“Whether I’m main event or first prelim or in the middle, they’re going to tune in to watch me fight.”