Why UFC 210's Charles Rosa contemplated free agency but ultimately chose to re-sign

Featherweight Charles Rosa was just about to bite in to a slice of pizza in Napes, Italy, when “Boston Strong” got an email from the UFC. Would he fight leglock specialist Ryan Hall on two weeks’ notice?

When the message arrived, Rosa was on something of a world tour. He’d stopped in Italy to train with former UFC middleweight Alessio Sakara, a longtime member of his American Top Team squad. But clearly, he was also enjoying himself.

And why not? Rosa kept asking UFC matchmakers to get him a fight, and the offers just weren’t materializing. Before he flew to Italy, he’d agreed to fight ex-champ and UFC Hall of Famer B.J. Penn on two weeks’ notice, only to see the promotion give it to Cole Miller (and then pair Miller against Alex Caceres when an anti-doping violation scrapped Penn).

Staying busy was tougher than Rosa thought. But he also knew that turning down fights was not the way he’d encourage his bosses to keep calling. He put down the slice.

“I tightened my shoelaces and told my little brother I’d be back,” Rosa (11-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC), who fights undefeated Shane Burgos (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) on Saturday’s FS1-televised prelims of UFC 210 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y., told MMAjunkie Radio.

As it turned out, Rosa would have been better off enjoying himself. Two days later, the promotion scrapped the Hall fight.

By the time he’d seen three short-notice opponents disappear, Rosa had lost his patience. So he inquired with his management about signing with another promoter. He’d test his value on the open market, following a now-commonplace trend of fighters looking beyond the industry-leader for a more welcoming home.

It’s not clear Rosa’s contractual status with the UFC; fighters are not typically allowed to solicit work from other promoters until an exclusive renegotiation period expires. What is clear is that several offers materialized. So he was faced with a choice: stick to an uncertain path, or take a new direction.

Ultimately, what convinced him to stay around was an attractive counter-offer.

“The UFC was really good to me,” said Rosa, who this weekend makes his fifth octagon appearance. “They gave me what I wanted, and we negotiated a good deal that worked out for both of us, and that’s where I want to be.”

Like most fighters, Rosa knows there’s no comparison between the UFC and it competition when it comes to the level of talent. He can’t bring himself to walk away from the chance to face the world’s best fighters.

“So when I do get the belt around my waist, I can look at myself in the mirror and know I beat the best guys to get it,” he said.

When Rosa steps into the cage against Burgos, 15 months will have passed since his last appearance. That’s far too long a wait to make a living as a fighter. But if he’s able to make the most of this bout, he could be surprised at how quickly he goes from the queue to the fast track.

For more on UFC 210, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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