Preview: UFC 306 Prelims

Bantamweights

Raul Rosas Jr. (9-1, 3-1 UFC) vs. Qileng Aori (25-11, 3-3 UFC)

ODDS: Rosas Jr. (-850), Aori (+575)

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It’s time for Rosas to get another test. Rosas’ main selling point thus far has been his youth, as he was signed off the Contender Series at the age of 17 and made his UFC debut a few months later at 18. As a fighter, “El Nino Problema” is still fairly one-dimensional, but that one dimension has served him well thus far. An aggressive wrestler and grappler, Rosas has scrambled his way towards finding a finish in three of his four trips to the Octagon. It’s that fourth fight that’s the issue, as Rosas got off to a hot start but faded badly against Christian Rodriguez, eating a one-sided beating by the later portions of what wound up as a decision loss. The hope was that Rosas might have used that result as a learning experience, particularly in terms of pacing himself, but he has been much the same fighter since, which has still resulted in two straight wins. Up next for Rosas is Aori in a winnable matchup that nonetheless has the potential to go sideways.

Aori had a rough start to his UFC career as a high-powered flyweight with some cardio issues, but he has looked much better since moving up to bantamweight in 2022. “The Mongolian Murderer” has retained his power, finding success with a style focused around blasting opponents with some hard counters. However, Aori hasn’t done particularly well against opponents willing to pressure, and his planted style tends to leave a lot of defensive openings, whether for takedowns or big counters. There’s certainly the chance that Aori can land a knockout blow or pour on some damage if he finds himself on top of Rosas. at any point. With that said, Rosas should be able to take the initiative, turn this into his kind of fight and eventually find the finish. The pick is Rosas via second-round submission.

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Rosas Jr. vs. Aori