EDMONTON – Don’t be surprised to see Tony Rojas throw a few kicks in his highly anticipated pro debut Friday.

Way before he ever entered the cage, the fast-rising Edmonton fighter was a professional soccer player in Costa Rica. 

“For a long time I thought I was a better soccer player than fighter because I’ve been playing the sport my entire life,” he says. “But over the past five or six years that I’ve been training MMA, my fighting skills have definitely surpassed my soccer skills.” 

Rojas began training in jiu-jitsu after he stopped pursuing a career in soccer. Jiu-jitsu classes led to MMA classes, and MMA classes led to MMA fights. After establishing himself as a top amateur prospect with several exciting bouts under the Unified MMA banner, Rojas makes his hotly anticipated professional debut at Unified 50 on Friday at River Cree Resort & Casino in Enoch, AB, LIVE on UFC Fight Pass.

Rojas has long taken a professional approach to his combat career. Aside from a few rule differences – and the fact that he’ll be taking home a paycheque from his next fight – not much has changed for the 27-year-old Edmonton flyweight prospect.

He has big goals for his fighting career.

“Everybody that gets into this sport has dreams of becoming a champion in a major organization, and that’s definitely where I’m aiming,” he says.

“I’m taking it one fight at a time, but my goal is to be the champion of a major organization and have the freedom to live that fighter lifestyle, where you get to train and compete for a living all over the world.”

ABOUT UNIFIED MMA

Unified MMA is Canada’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, showcasing the country’s top-ranked fighters, LIVE on UFC Fight Pass. The organization has successfully promoted 49 events across Canada since it was founded in 2009, and has propelled several athletes to the UFC’s Octagon.​