UFC 282: 18-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. quickly submits Jay Perrin in record-breaking debut

LAS VEGAS — Raul Rosas Jr. is just 18 years old, the youngest winner in UFC history. But he’s clearly learned quickly. After submitting Jay Perrin at 2:44 of the first with a rear naked choke, Rosas took the microphone at T-Mobile Arena and did what so many of his much older peers have done over the years.

“Dana!” Rosas said, shouting to UFC president Dana White, “50 Gs, baby!”

Of course, Rosas was looking for a post-fight bonus following his win in the night’s final preliminary fight, and he wasn’t out of line asking for it. He was the center of intense scrutiny all week in the build-up to the fight and he got a huge reception from the crowd when he entered the cage.

Perrin entered the fight in a no-win situation. If he won, he beat an 18-year-old kid. If he lost, he was beaten by the youngest fighter in UFC history in his promotional debut.

Rosas, though, looked like he belonged without question. He quickly lifted Perrin out and slammed him down. When he did, he was on Perrin’s back in a flash.

From that point on, it was just a matter of time until Rosas got the victory. The second Perrin tapped, the large crowd erupted again.

“I have no nerves, no pressure and I feel free and I’m doing what I love to do,” he said to Joe Rogan in the cage after his win. “Right now, tonight, I just tried to introduce myself, because I’m coming.”

He’d said before the fight that his goal is to surpass Jon Jones as the youngest champion in UC history. Jones won the light heavyweight title at 23 years in 2011.

Rosas has plenty of time to catch Jones. Even bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling was impressed, tweeting he’d be at featherweight by the time Rosas was ready to fight him.

Given how much time he has to break Jones’ record, he might want to think about becoming the youngest to win titles in two divisions.

It’s crazy to think of an 18-year-old in those terms, but there are few 18-year-olds like Raul Rosas.