The Raul Rosas Jr. fight being canceled was deflating for UFC Mexico fans, as his bout with Ricky Turcios was scrapped minutes before his walkout. And it was all due to an illness.
As expected, this has led to rampant speculation regarding the exact nature of his illness, which is yet to be disclosed. The only available details are that Rosas Jr. has been fighting the illness the entire day to no avail. While the exact nature of his illness remains unknown, there are high-probability causes.
Check out Raul Rosas Jr.'s pullout being announced on broadcast:
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Oftentimes, the reason behind fighters suddenly pulling out of fights is related to disastrous weight cuts. Botched weight cuts can lead to organ failure, like the kidneys shutting down, which demands immediate hospitalization.
Rosas Jr. is a large bantamweight, standing at five feet, nine inches tall. He has a wide, well-muscled frame and had previously hit the scales at the bantamweight non-title limit of 136 pounds, as opposed to 135 pounds. This may or may not indicate struggles with the weight cut ahead of UFC Mexico.
While no details are known, it has recently been announced by Dana White that 'El Niño Problema' will fight his scheduled opponent next weekend at the UFC Apex at UFC Fight Night 238.
Raul Rosas Jr.'s issues with weight-cutting
Raul Rosas Jr. has never missed weight in the UFC. However, he has admitted to featherweight being his future due to each cut to bantamweight growing more and more difficult every time he hits the scale. Furthermore, Rosas Jr. has also confessed to having a relatively poor diet for fighting.
"I actually had a dietician for my last fight, shout out to them. But for this fight, I didn't have no dietician, like, I know the P.I. has some, but I didn't use it because I don't feel like I needed it."
Check out Raul Rosas Jr. discussing his love of junk food (0:13):
He eats junk food, including pizza, even while preparing for fights. Unfortunately, this could have contributed to a difficult weight cut for his UFC Mexico bout with Ricky Turcios. However, due to his lack of dietary discipline, it is also possible that he may have eaten something that led to him contracting food poisoning.