Midnight Mania! Will Humbled Rosas Jr. Return Better Than Ever?

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

The imploding hype train of Raul Rosas Jr. was one of the bigger stories to come from UFC 287 last weekend (Sat. April 8, 2023). The 18-year-old wunderkind started his fight opposite Christian Rodriguez strong, but he pushed far too intense a pace to force his grappling assault. As fatigue began to set in, Rosas Jr. looked a whole lot less effective, and he was beaten up en route to a decision loss.

Triple champion status might have to wait for a bit.

Though Rosas Jr. entered the fight as the favorite, it wasn’t exactly a shocking outcome. “El Problemo Nino” is certainly talented, but there’s a reason most UFC fighters debut at an older age with more professional fights under their belt. Rosas Jr. seem to believe his own hype, and Rodriguez taught him a lesson.

Perhaps it was for the best? UFC color commentator Daniel Cormier believes the defeat will benefit Rosas Jr, humbling him and allowing future growth.

“I tap in that the loss was good for him because it’ll teach him humility,” Daniel Cormier stated on the DC and RC podcast (via Josh Evanoff). “This kid is confident at a level that not many people are … There was a story where Rosas’s dad was filming [Aljamain Sterling and Raul Rosas Jr.]. I was in the fighter meeting and Rosas walked in there and told me that he threw Aljamain down so easily, he thought he was a striker.”

He continued, “He told me he was going thirty percent on Aljamain Sterling. So it was a youthful confidence, but it wasn’t allowing him to be his true self. Sometimes you have to be humbled, and I think this fight will humble him. It will allow for him, a kid with so much potential, to truly go to the levels that he needs to go to.”

It remains to be seen how Rosas Jr.’s loss affects his future performances, or if he’ll take Sean O’Malley’s advice and spend a long period of time in the gym before returning.

Insomnia

Movsar Evloev vs. Bryce Mitchell sounds like a great Featherweight match up, though I don’t love “Thug Nasty’s” chances.

Aljamain Sterling claims that Sean O’Malley could’ve fought for the title at UFC 288 but turned it down.

I mean, YOU chose not to fight me….YOU chose to get more time because the grappling department was looking rocky, no ASAP. https://t.co/p1MGQ8uRJ8

— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) April 13, 2023

Do we think 270-pound retirement Daniel Cormier could win a wrestling match against Khamzat Chimaev? I do not.

Sam Alvey is going to be back in the UFC before we know it, just watch!

Former UFC middleweight Sam Alvey is back to the regional scene after he parted ways with the UFC some months ago.

He locks horns with heavyweight Cameron “Big Mac” Graham whose record is 5-12.

Bout set under the 265-pound limit and to go down on May 27, in Columbus, Georgia. pic.twitter.com/rweUVzDSrj

— Al Zullino (@phre) April 13, 2023

Volkan Oezdemir would be a fine welcome to Light Heavyweight for Alex Pereira, but I like the idea of a Jan Blachowicz throw down.

I wouldn’t say Chris Curtis is handling his situation with grace, but it should be easy to understand why he’s so upset. The clash of heads changed the fight!

Dude got ko’d with a headbutt and came back and almost won. Put on an amazing performance and barely lost. I support this appeal can’t believe all the people calling him sore loser and “just get over it”. Plus who wouldn’t want to see a rematch that was awesome fight! https://t.co/kwdwCPfRTd

— Matt Brown (@IamTheImmortal) April 12, 2023

Putting Brandon Royval on the Prelims is outrageous.

Beneil Dariush has legitimate jiu-jitsu credentials!