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New Castle native epitome of confident about pro debut
New Castle native
epitome of confident
By Greg Gulas
YOUNGSTOWN
After an undefeated amateur MMA and boxing stint, New Castle native Dalton Rosta is ready to take the next step in his mixed martial arts career.
A Laurel High graduate, Rosta graduated from Youngstown State in December with a finance degree and at age 23, is hungry to now make a name for himself professionally after signing with Bellator MMA in mid-January.
He’ll make his professional debut tonight in Temecula, Calif., when he meets Cody Vidal (1-1) at Pechanga Resort and Casino.
“My last amateur fight was in October against Cody Brundage in Mansfield, but a month prior to that I had gotten a call from Rich Chow, the head matchmaker for Bellator saying that he wanted to speak with me,” Rosta said. “He said he heard a lot of good things about me and wanted to get the ball rolling to sign me.
“He said he liked what he saw, but we talked back-and-forth for several months before I actually signed at the beginning of the year. As we were negotiating, he laid everything out and showed me how much I’d make per fight, the length of contract as well as how my pay grade would go up each fight. After I signed, it took just a little over a month for them to secure my first professional fight, which is [today].”
According to Tapology, Rosta was the No. 1 ranked amateur light heavyweight in Ohio, Pennsylvania, the Midwest and Northeast at the time of his signing, going 7-0 as an MMA amateur with all wins coming by KO or TKO.
He won amateur titles at Pinnacle FC, Rivers Rumble and BCM Promotions, earning the 2018 Bluegrass MMA “Amateur Knockout of the Year” award for his finish of Devon Harrell at Rivers Rumble last July, He came within 10 votes of winning the “Amateur Fighter of the Year” award.
Rosta went 6-0 as a boxer — he registered three KO’s and three unanimous decisions — and trains at Larry Filer’s Downtown Boxing Club with Campbell native Sammy Calderon, who serves as his striking coach. Isaac Greeley is his main grappling and jiu-jitsu coach.
Other coaches who work with him include Louis Armezzani (jiu-jitsu) and Chris Pappas (kick boxing and Muay Thai).
Calderon said Rosta appreciates the total team effort that he has been provided during his training and especially as he transitions from amateur to professional.
“We work as a team, work well together and always work with Dalton’s best interest in mind,” Calderon said. “This is a dream come true for him and well-deserved because he works hard and listens. He doesn’t have to be told what to do and does things on his own, more so outside the gym setting.
“His strength is himself. He’s highly motivated and has worked quite hard for this opportunity. His father has instilled in him a work ethic that every kid should have. If we had more fighters like him around here, then we’d have a lot of champions.”
Vidal, who hails from Murrieta, Calif., is 1-1 with a KO to his credit.
Rosta has never been short on confidence and remains unimpressed with his professional opponent.
“I’ve watched both of his fights and the one that he won was an 11-second knockout,” he said. “I wasn’t impressed with him and the dude that he fought didn’t look too great, either.
“I think the other fight went to a decision and I kind of got bored watching it. That should tell you what I think about him. He didn’t impress me at all as he was slow, flat-footed and looked like he got tired quickly. Nothing he did stood out to me. He just looked like an average MMA fighter.”
The fight might should down to quickness, according to Rosta.
“He didn’t have superior boxing or kick-boxing skills and wasn’t superior at wrestling or grappling. He was mediocre at everything,” Rosta said. “I’m a lot faster than he is and quicker with how fast I punch, kick and move. Plus, I’m more agile.
“In the first round, I see myself getting in and out on him until I ding him up, then I’ll finish him off with a right hand or hook. My prediction is a first-round knockout.”
The night’s main event will pit lightweight Saad Awad (23-10-0) against Brandon Girtz (15-8-0) with the co-main, also a lightweight pairing, has Daniel Straus (24-8-0) taking on Shane Kruchten (12-4-0).