“For a Moment He Was Frozen” – Question Marks on Dana White’s 18 Y.O Prospect Raised After Raul Rosas Jr.’s Wild First Round at Noche UFC

On the main card of the UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko event, Raul Rosas Jr. secured a win over Terrence Mitchell. Getting back on the winning track, the athlete knocked out his opponent just 54 seconds into the first round, making this victory one of the fastest finishes in the promotion’s history. Although Mitchell had his moments, one of Rosas Jr.’s shots connected with his chin, dropping the athlete on the canvas.

‘Terr Bear’ managed to scramble back but couldn’t defend himself from the barrage of punches from ‘El Nino Problema’, forcing the referee to stop the fight. This was Rosas’s first fight since his first loss to Christian Rodriguez back at UFC 287, and it looks like the 18-year-old’s hype train is still on track. However, while everyone seems to be praising him, there is a veteran who seems to have made slightly different observations.

Veteran referee John McCarthy expresses his thoughts on Raul Rosas Jr.

In the latest episode of his podcast, former UFC referee John McCarthy sat down with his co-host and former UFC star Josh Thomson to discuss the recently concluded UFC event. During the interview, ‘Big John’ and ‘The Punk’ shared their opinions on the fights. Obviously, the controversial conclusion of the main event was the biggest emphasis of the episode.

In McCarthy’s words about Rosas Jr.: “He definitely hurt him, even though it didn’t look like it hit that hard. It’s one of those shots that just pushes the chin straight down without the twist, and you could see that for a moment, he was frozen.”

“He was able to at least gather himself as he was hitting the ground, but not enough to get himself back in the fight.” McCarthy highlighted the aggressive and reckless approach the two bantamweights took in the fight.

When discussing the young athlete’s performance, McCarthy praised his comeback but also highlighted the recklessness shown by both Rosas and his opponent during the fight. This sentiment seems to be shared by Thomson.

Big John McCarthy and Thomson discuss the “sloppy” fight

‘Big John’ is a veteran of MMA and has spent more than two decades with the UFC. During his time with the promotion, he was part of some of the biggest fights the UFC has produced to date, including Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock and Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor 2. His catchphrase, “Let’s get it on!” remains a staple for old-time fans. Thus, people were curious to know his take on Mitchell and Rosas Jr.

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He pointed out how it was the second back-to-back loss for Mitchell. The retired referee was of the opinion the fighter needed to figure out his strengths. He even compared him to Kevin Holland because of his stature.

Thomson pointed out how Mitchell and Rosas Jr. had some “sloppy exchanges“. It was rather a question of whose punch would connect first; the fight could have gone either way. He felt the bout was for the fans; especially with how they just went ahead. McCarthy agreed with his analysis.

He is undoubtedly familiar with the consequences of being reckless inside the Octagon. Nevertheless, Raul Rosas Jr. is still young and has a lot to learn as a fighter despite all his talent. What do you think?

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