Raul Rosas Jr. made his UFC debut last year and became the youngest fighter in promotion history. During the UFC 282 tournament, at the age of 18, he beat Jay Perrin by choke in the first round.
Rosas Jr. is still 18 and is now preparing for his second UFC fight. On April 9, the American will face Christian Rodriguez at UFC 287.
After a brilliant start, some wondered if he could ever become the promotion’s youngest champion. While these expectations are premature, they raise questions. Who are the youngest champions in UFC history?
No. 5. Frank Shamrock, 25 at the time of the UFC championship
It’s not often that a pair of siblings achieve significant success in MMA. Often one brother reaches great heights, while the other hides in the dark. This is the case, for example, of reigning flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo and his younger brother Francisco.
However, Frank Shamrock was an exception. As the younger brother of MMA legend Ken Shamrock, he carried the burden of a famous family name on his shoulders. Fortunately, the younger of the brothers earned his place in MMA history by defeating great wrestler and Olympian Kevin Jackson.
At UFC Japan in 1997, Shamrock, then just 25, handed Jackson his first professional loss within 16 seconds of the fight starting. Shamrock not only broke his opponent’s unbeaten streak, but also captured the promotion’s first light heavyweight title.
No. 4. Carlos Newton, 24 at the time of the UFC championship
The forerunner of Canadian Georges St-Pierre in terms of welterweight titleholders, Carlos Newton was an exciting fighter in his prime. While grappling is viewed with disdain by most casual fans, Ronin has won the admiration of viewers around the world with his submission.
At UFC 31, the Canadian wrestler’s skills on the mat came in very handy. He faced Pat Miletich for the promotion’s welterweight title. In lap three, Newton had a great choke hold. Miletić dropped out and the Ronins were declared the winner and the new welterweight champion at just 24 years old.
No. 3. Josh Barnett, 24 at time of UFC title
Heavyweight mixed martial arts legend Josh Barnett has fought just about anywhere you can fight. The seasoned fighter suffered just one loss in the first seven years of his MMA career. In this impressive race, he defeated a number of legendary opponents.
Among them were heavyweight kickboxer great Semmy Schilt and MMA legend Dan Severn. Randy Couture is perhaps the most notorious opponent Barnett has defeated early in his career. At the time, the 24-year-old Barnett stunned the world by defeating Couture by TKO in two rounds.
Unfortunately, a positive anabolic test after the victory tarnished his performance. Although the fight was not declared a no contest, Barnett was ultimately stripped of his champion status. After that he left the UFC, returning 11 years later with mixed success.
No. 2. Jose Aldo, 24 at the time of the UFC championship
Aldo won the promotion’s featherweight title at just 24 years old. After Zuffa acquired the WEC, its featherweight division was incorporated into Dana White’s organization. Jose Aldo, then WEC 66kg champion, became the UFC featherweight king.
No. 1. Jon Jones, 23 at the time of the UFC title
It’s hard to imagine anyone breaking Jon Jones’ record as the youngest champion in UFC history. According to many experts, Jones is considered the greatest fighter in MMA history. With the exception of a loss to Matt Hamill after a disqualification for illegal elbowing, his record is impeccable.
Although he dominated all of his fights at the time, few could have predicted that he would treat Mauricio “Shogun” Rua so brutally. At the time, the Brazilian fighter had just inflicted his first defeat on Lyoto Machida and captured the light heavyweight title.
But then Rua managed to successfully defend the title. Jon Jones ruthlessly beat “Shogun” and defeated him in the third round by TKO.
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Source: Sport
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
