Aaron Isaac Rosa (born May 28, 1983) is an American former professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

. A professional competitor from 2005 until 2013, he has competed for the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

, Bellator,

ShoXC ''ShoXC'' is a mixed martial arts series produced by the mixed martial arts organization EliteXC, Showtime and Proelite.com. The series was announced on July 11, 2007. The purpose of the show is to highlight up and coming MMA fighters. On Oct ...

, and

Strikeforce Strike Force may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game *'' Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game *'' Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game *''Marvel Strike Force'', ...

Background

Born and raised in the border-town of

Del Rio, Texas Del Rio is a city and the county seat of Val Verde County in southwestern Texas, United States. The city is 152 miles west of San Antonio. As of 2020, Del Rio had a population of 34,673. History The Spanish established a small settlement south o ...

, Rosa was a talented

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

player, competing at Del Rio High School before continuing his career at

Angelo State University Angelo State University is a public university in San Angelo, Texas. It was founded in 1928 as San Angelo College. It gained university status and awarded its first baccalaureate degrees in 1967 and graduate degrees in 1969, the same year it too ...

, where he was also a standout. In January 2004, Rosa began training in

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Rosa made his amateur debut later that year in 2004 and made his professional debut in November 2005. Rosa compiled an undefeated record of 9-0 fighting on the local circuit before being signed by

ShoXC

Rosa made his promotional debut on July 27, 2007 at ShoXC: Elite Challengers Series against Jefferson Silva and won via TKO. Rosa made his next appearance on October 26, 2007 against

Jared Hamman Jared Hamman (born March 7, 1982) is an American mixed martial artist that competes in the World Series of Fighting's Middleweight division. A professional competitor since 2006, he has also formerly competed for the UFC, Strikeforce and Sho ...

and was handed his first professional defeat via

rear-naked choke The rear naked choke (RNC) is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word "naked" in this context suggests that, unlike other strangulation techniques found in jujutsu/judo, this hold does not require the use of a keikogi ...

submission in the second round. Rosa then faced Jaime Fletcher on March 21, 2008 and was defeated again, via unanimous decision. Rosa was scheduled to fight

Seth Petruzelli Seth Christopher Petruzelli (born December 3, 1979) is an American retired mixed martial artist, kickboxer, professional wrestler and entrepreneur. Petruzelli competed in the Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight divisions for the UFC, WEC, Eli ...

, at EliteXC: Heat, but Petruzelli was moved to the main event to fight Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson after

Ken Shamrock Kenneth Wayne Shamrock (''né'' Kilpatrick; born February 11, 1964) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promoter and semi-retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and kickboxer. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Champ ...

had to pull out due to an injury.

Strikeforce

After picking up a win under the

Adrenaline MMA Adrenaline MMA was a mixed martial arts organization that operated primarily in North America. It was formerly part of M-1 Global but became independent in October 2007 with Monte Cox as its head. History Foundation In October 2007, Sibling E ...

banner, Rosa made his

debut at Strikeforce Challengers: Evangelista vs. Aina on May 15, 2009 in a

Light Heavyweight Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruise ...

bout against

Anthony Ruiz Anthony Ruiz (born November 3, 1977) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Light Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions of MMA. A professional since 2003, he has competed for Bellator MMA, Strikeforce, the W ...

. Rosa won via

submission in the first round. Rosa made his next appearance on November 20, 2009 at Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Bears against

Rafael Cavalcante Rafael Cavalcante (born 5 April 1980) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who fights in the light heavyweight division. He is currently competing for Bellator MMA. He trains with Anderson Silva and Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira as part of the Black ...

. Rosa was defeated in the second round via TKO. At

Bellator 20 2010 in Bellator MMA was the second installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started on April 8, 2010 and ended June 24, 2010. Tournaments were held in the Featherweight (MMA), featherweight, Lightweigh ...

he defeated veteran Robert Villegas by unanimous decision. Rosa then defeated

The Ultimate Fighter 10 ''The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights'' is the tenth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)-produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. In a press conference following ''UFC 98'', Dana White announced that filming ...

alumnus Abe Wagner via submission at Titan FC 17: Lashley vs. Ott.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

On May 13, 2011 it was announced that Rosa had signed with the

. He made his debut against

Joey Beltran José Felipe Beltran (born December 9, 1981) is an American bare-knuckle fighter and mixed martial artist. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, he has competed for the UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce, and King of the Cage. He currently compet ...

UFC 131 ''UFC 131: dos Santos vs. Carwin'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on 11 June 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Background Brock Lesnar was originally scheduled to face ...

. After a back-and-forth first two rounds, Rosa was stopped by Beltran by TKO in the third round. Rosa was expected to face

Fabio Maldonado Fabio is a given name descended from Latin '' Fabius'' and very popular in Italy and Latin America (due to Italian migration). Its English equivalent is Fabian. The name is written without an accent in Italian and Spanish, but is usually accented ...

in a

bout at UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson. But Maldonado was forced to pull out of the bout due to an injury. Rosa instead faced promotional newcomer Matt Lucas on November 12, 2011 at

UFC on Fox 1 ''UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. dos Santos'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 1'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 12, 2011 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Background This card marked the ...

. He won the fight via majority decision. Rosa had his next

bout against

James Te-Huna James Te Huna (born 29 September 1981) is best known for competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship who has been called a pioneer of New Zealand mixed martial artists. He was the first Australian-based fighter to win a UFC fight on Australi ...

on March 3, 2012 at

UFC on FX 2 ''UFC on FX: Alves vs. Kampmann'' (also known as ''UFC on FX 2'') was a mixed martial arts event held live by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday March 3, 2012 at the Allphones Arena in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Background ...

. Rosa lost via TKO in the first round and was subsequently released from the promotion.

Bellator

After his release from the

, Rosa made his return to Bellator at

Bellator 103 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five Mixed martial arts weight classes, weight classes and all of the ch ...

on October 11, 2013, facing

Mikhail Zayats Mikhail Zayats (russian: Михаил Заяц;born October 14, 1981) is an ethnic Russian professional mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator's Light Heavyweight division. He has also competed in M-1 Global. According to the ...

. Rosa was defeated 47 seconds into the first round via submission.

Return to MMA

After more the 9 years away from the sport, Rosa made his return against

Juan Adams Juan Alejandro Arcienego-Adams (born January 16, 1992) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and currently competes in the heavyweight division of the PFL. Adams formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Backgroun ...

at Fury FC 56 on February 6, 2022. Rosa lost the bout in the first round via ground and pound TKO.

Personal life

Rosa is married and has 2 daughters and a son.Aaron Rosa - Never Stop Fighting , UFC ® - News
/ref>

Mixed martial arts record

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Mulvane, Kansas Mulvane is a city in Sedgwick and Sumner counties in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 6,286. History Mulvane was laid out in 1879 at the junction of five Santa Fe rail lines. It is named for ...

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Pharr, Texas Pharr is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 70,400, and in 2019, the estimated population was 79,112. Pharr is connected by bridge to the Mexican city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas. Pharr is p ...

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, Australia , , - , Win , align=center, 17–4 , Matt Lucas (fighter), Matt Lucas , Decision (majority) , UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...

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Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 16–3 , Abe Wagner , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Titan FC 17: Lashley vs. Ott , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:35 ,

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–3 ,

Devin Cole Devin Cole (born October 1, 1976) is an American mixed martial artist. He is a veteran of the Seattle Tiger Sharks and Portland Wolfpack in the IFL, and has also competed in the WEC, Strikeforce, the World Series of Fighting, and Shark Fights. E ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Shark Fights 13: Jardine vs Prangley , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Amarillo, Texas Amarillo ( ; Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Potter County. It is the 14th-most populous city in Texas and the largest city in the Texas Panhandle. A portion of the city extends into Randall County ...

, United States ,

Heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the Wo ...

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–3 , Robert Villegas , Decision (unanimous) ,

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, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–3 ,

, TKO (punches) , Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Bears , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:25 ,

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, Submission (rear-naked choke) , Strikeforce Challengers: Evangelista vs. Aina , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:29 ,

Fresno, California Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, makin ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–2 , Ron Fields , TKO (punches) , Adrenaline MMA: Guida vs. Russow , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:34 ,

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–2 , Jaime Fletcher , Decision (unanimous) , ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Santa Ynez, California Santa Ynez (; Spanish for "St. Agnes") is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County, California. The town of Santa Ynez is one of the communities of the Santa Ynez Valley. It features the Santa Ynez Airport ...

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, Submission (rear-naked choke) , ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:46 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–0 , Jefferson Silva , TKO (doctor stoppage) , ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 , Matt Thomas , Decision (split) , World Cage Fighting 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:00 ,

Southaven, Mississippi Southaven is a city in DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States. It is a principal city in Greater Memphis. The 2020 census reported a population of 54,648, making Southaven the third-largest city in Mississippi and the second most populous ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Corey Salter , TKO (punches) , JJL Promotions: Sudden Impact 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:10 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Jesse Vasquez , TKO (punches) , Renegades Extreme Fighting , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:10 ,

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

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Bossier City, Louisiana Bossier City ( ) is a city in Bossier Parish in the northwestern region of the U.S. state of Louisiana in the United States. It is the second most populous city in the Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan statistical area. In 2020, it had a ...

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Matt Thompson , Decision (unanimous) , Renegades Extreme Fighting , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

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References

External links

* *
Official UFC Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosa, Aaron American male mixed martial artists American mixed martial artists of Mexican descent American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu 1983 births Living people Mixed martial artists from Texas Heavyweight mixed martial artists Light heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu People from Del Rio, Texas Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters