Charles 'Boston Strong' Rosa's comeback from a potentially career-ending injury to submitting a submission master inside the Octagon is the kind of stuff fairy tales are made of. In a featherweight bout at UFC on ESPN 6 held in TD Garden in Boston on 18th October, Rosa returned from a two and a half year long lay off due to injury, to face Manny Bermudez. He won the fight in the first round via submission. Rosa has now finished 11 out of the 12 fights that he has won.
Rosa had to go through some trying times to get where he is at the moment. Before this bout, Rosa suffered a TKO loss to Shane Burgos in 2017. Then he overcame a career-threatening neck injury that kept him out of the sport for two years to put up a spectacular performance in front of his home crowd.
Rosa submits the submission master
If there were any doubts as to how Rosa would fare in the fight after such a lengthy lay-off or if the ring rust would take its toll, he has certainly put them to rest with his performance. (h/t MMA Junkie)
“He was known as the jiu-jitsu guy in the division, but I guess we all know now who the jiu-jitsu guy in the division is.”
Never say never
Boston Strong said that the win at UFC on ESPN 6 was what he had worked for in the past two years and it gave him the motivation to keep going in spite of the doctors writing him off due to the neck injury. But Rosa didn't stop believing; he kept pushing himself and pulled off a miracle and now, he has his eyes set on the UFC featherweight title.
“Getting back into the win column is the best feeling in the world. This is everything I’ve worked for over the last 10 years, especially over the last two years with my injury. I thought about this every day, and this is what kept me going – this exact moment. It was extremely hard. There were days where physical therapists and doctors doubted me. But even if there was a 1 percent chance that I was coming back and make it, even if they told me I couldn’t, I would have. But I did it. I’m back. First-round finish and I’m coming for the title.”
What's next for Rosa?
Rosa wants to work his way up the ranks and earn himself a title fight in his hometown of Boston someday.
“I’m 3-0 in the Boston Garden now, undefeated in Boston, and I’m going to keep going. The next step, hopefully, is working up the rankings and fighting for a world title here one day.”
Check out a clip from Rosa's post-fight interview last Friday at TD Garden in Boston.
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