Dalton Rosta grew up in Newcastle, PA and his love for contact sports began at an early age. He wrestled in high school and eventually took a scholarship at Seton Hall University. After his collegiate career came to an end, Rosta got into the amateur fighting circuits in Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.
He went undefeated in fights ranging from county fair racetracks to event centers. In total, he amassed a 7-0 record in fights that often didn’t go past 5 minutes. This led to being discovered by Bellator, who quickly signed the 6-foot, 185-lb middleweight.
The streak continued into Bellator quite well. He is undefeated through 4 professional bouts, the last being a dominant performance on Bellator 250’s main card that earned him a unanimous decision. While he has yet to get a KO in a pro fight, he hits hard and is able to outclass his opponent on the ground, in the clinch, and in stand-up.
The 24-year-old is purely a fighter. Rosta has previously stated he doesn’t like touching gloves before matches to show he’s just there to go in and dominate. While Rosta is active on social media, he doesn’t flaunt or get too cocky on any of his platforms. He has been a vocal critic of Dillon Danis, a fellow Bellator fighter. Rosta stated he feels that Danis calls out fighters he realistically doesn’t have the ability to even get a match against as a show for social media.
Rosta earned his nickname of Hercules in a very unique way. His powerful hits despite intense rounds of sparring drew a crowd at his old gym. One of those people in the audience happened to be Muhammad Ali’s sparring partner. The man who once fought against The Great One himself dubbed Rosta “Hercules” for his power and physical appearance.
It was a combination of his athleticism and record in MMA that got him a call from American Top Team (ATT), one of the most esteemed MMA training centers in the world. He made the trip from Pennsylvania to Coconut Creek, Florida for his tryout. After a few days of training, ATT gave him a spot and it has become his new home for honing his craft.
While it is unclear when Rosta will fight next, one thing is for certain: he is the real deal. Rosta has all the tools to become a great fighter and this is just the beginning.