Yoel Romero News

Drake Riggs - February 9, 2018

The UFC 221 weigh-ins didn’t come without some little extra drama sprinkled on top. In the main event, former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion, Luke Rockhold is set to take on Yoel Romero for the interim title while champion, Robert Whittaker recovers from his staph infection.

Justin Golightly - February 9, 2018

Every step in Yoel Romero’s career has led to this. After a war with Robert Whittaker ended in a decision that halted Romero’s eight-fight win streak, fate seemed to favor the former Olympian. The title switches and changes have been almost as dizzying as the flying knees which Romero launches at unsuspecting opponents. Yet, here he is again fighting for an interim middleweight belt. Luke Rockhold and coaches have said the only thing that would lead to their defeat is a ‘lucky strike’, but it seems like luck is on the side of Yoel Romero. “First of all [in response that Luke Rockhold saying he’s better then me in every aspect of the fight], the Philistines said Goliath had to kill David because he was a great warrior and David was just an average man. Who won that fight? I feel like the Son of God and I believe it’s a blessing for me to feel this way. I respect this [opinion that Rockhold can out grapple me] but the whole world has the right to talk, but it’s God that’s got to shed the light so, I’m going to shed the light in those dark places that Luke talks about it. I will be the light that God gives me in that moment. I feel blessed [to be in an interim title fight]. The strength of my work, the amount of work that I put in, the amount of work my team has put it in, the support that I have for my family, this is what drives me.”

Justin Golightly - February 9, 2018

As the middleweight division spins effortlessly back into chaos again, two men will try to set it back on its axis tomorrow. Luke Rockhold will fight Yoel Romero at the main event of UFC 221 for an interim middleweight title, created in response to newly-awarded undisputed champ Robert Whittaker’s triple threat health bomb. Romero and Rockhold have been on a collision course for years and now they finally get to scrap. He thinks he’s better everywhere and his coaches believe him too. It’s hard to say [who is the worse match-up for Luke Rockhold] because they both have different strengths. Yoel [Romero] is very explosive, great wrestling, but [Robert] Whittaker is good everywhere and a very dangerous striker. They’re both different, but the thing is with Luke, Luke’s good everywhere. So Luke can finish those guys in every department, where they can’t. They can’t finish Luke everywhere, they can’t finish Luke on the ground, they can’t do this with Luke. Luke can do that to anybody.”

Justin Golightly - February 7, 2018

The UFC’s middleweight division has been a mess that no one has been able to clean up, but Luke Rockhold think it may be its white knight. From Michael Bisping to Georges St-Pierre, then to Robert Whittaker, now an interim title created due to his laundry list of ailments, it’s hard to keep track of the gold belt. No matter what though, Rockhold maintains that if he takes out Romero this weekend in emphatic fashion, that he won’t be just an interim champ, but you can go ahead and call him the real deal. “Slight difference but this was bound to happen one way or the other. [Robert] Whittaker would have been first, Yoel [Romero] would’ve been second. Yoel’s first, so Whittaker will be second. I’m up for the task. I’m not lacking in any way. I’m prepared to fight the best guys in the world. It’s a shame it’s not gonna be for the undisputed title but Whittaker beat Yoel to be the interim champion. I’m gonna beat Yoel to be the interim champion. It’s a matter of who did it better is gonna be the real champion at the end of this thing. So that’s the way I see it.”

Drake Riggs - January 31, 2018

UFC 221 plays host to a big-time Middleweight showdown. Originally supposed to be a battle between the former UFC champion, Luke Rockhold and current undisputed champion, Robert Whittaker has turned into an interim title clash now between Rockhold and Yoel Romero. One great fight goes to another. The title fight is taking place next week on February 10th in Perth, Australia. Before fight week, Rockhold spoke with MMAJunkie about his opponent, Romero:

Justin Golightly - January 26, 2018

The middleweight division was just on the verge of reaching a relatively normal state of affairs and then an injury sent it right back into chaos. Georges St-Pierre bowed out of the division and left his new title behind. Whittaker was promoted to the undisputed champion but had to pull out of his first defense. Yoel Romero was immediately booked into Whittaker’s fight with Luke Rockhold and it was changed into an interim title bout. If you’re confused, don’t worry, Kelvin Gastelum is too. He thought he was a shoe-in for the shot after his performance at UFC Shanghai, but the UFC had other plans. “It does bother me a little bit that I haven’t even been considered for a shot, but it is what it is, I know this is a process, and I’m just dealing with the process. What I do think set me back was Robert Whittaker getting hurt and them making that match-up for the interim [middleweight] belt. That sets every middleweight back, because the winner is going to have to fight Whittaker. It’s just going to have to be a process for anyone to get a title shot.” — Kelvin Gastelum speaking to MMA Junkie.

Justin Golightly - January 16, 2018

The combat world wept when Robert Whittaker had to back out of his fight with Luke Rockhold, especially since it was going to set the middleweight division right for the first time in roughly two years. However, the tears quickly dried when we learned we were going to get Yoel Romero fighting Rockhold at UFC 221 instead. It’s a fight that we’ve somehow never got, but now here it is right in front of us. Luke Rockhold is fine with the change in opponent as well, which he believes is an easier fight than he was in before hand. “It’s not an ideal situation, of course. I’m going across the world to fight a guy that I could fight down the street. I wanted to fight [Robert] Whittaker. It’s a fight I’ve been seeking for a long time and I thought it was a good time to make it happen, but obviously he’s got some health issues. I wish him the best and I know Whittaker’s not a man to run away from anything. I respect that kid and I wish him the best. I hope it’s not too serious. Yoel [Romero] was the option right off the bat, and I’m ready to fight as long as the money’s right, the belt’s on the line.”

Justin Golightly - January 16, 2018

Directly after Yoel Romero defeated Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza, he was number two in the UFC’s middleweight division and was ready for his title shot. All of the sudden, something happened that we all know too well about. Romero was hit with a violation from USADA. After a long period of ups-and-downs, it was found out and proven to be a tainted supplement. According to a report first released by Forbes, Yoel Romero and his team are now suing the supplement company that caused his anti-doping violation, resulting in a suspension. “[Yoel] Romero, 38, tested positive for Ibutamoren following an out-of-competition test conducted on December 16, 2015 in Miami, Florida. Ibutamoren is a Growth Hormone Secretagogue and a prohibited substance in the class of Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, which has adopted the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List. Following notification of his positive test, Romero provided USADA with access to the dietary supplement products he was using at the time of the relevant sample collection.”

Drake Riggs - December 29, 2017

UFC on Fox 28 in Orlando, Florida just keeps getting better and better. A top Middleweight matchup has been reported by the Orlando Sentinel. Making his return for the first time since losing his interim title fight against Robert Whittaker at UFC 213, Yoel Romero will take on former WSOF Middleweight and Light Heavyweight champion, David Branch. UFC on Fox 28 takes place on February 24!

Justin Golightly - December 19, 2017

We haven’t seen Yoel Romero since his decision loss to Robert Whittaker back in July. Up until then, the middleweight monster was on an eight-fight win streak with huge wins over Lyoto Machida, Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza, and Chris Weidman. Since then though, all he’s wanted is a fight. With anybody. However, it looks like he’s tried unsuccessfully with both Luke Rockhold and former champ Michael Bisping. Finally, the clouds have broken up and it looks like he could have a fight for the UFC Orlando card: Former WSOF two-division champion David Branch. Yesssss lets do it!!! @Mickmaynard2 https://t.co/oKOCIQZD4v

Tom Taylor - December 19, 2017

Top UFC middleweight contender Yoel Romero is having a tough time finding an opponent. Having recently come up short against reigning champion Robert Whittaker, he was hoping his next fight would be against former champion Luke Rockhold, but unfortunately, Rockhold took a fight with David Branch – an opponent Romero considers much easier than himself. “I don’t understand why [Rockhold] said no,” Romero said on the MMA Hour (h/t MMAMania). “I don’t understand. Maybe he had a strategy in the mind. He say, ‘No I wont fight Yoel, I will fight somebody easy.’ Respect to David Branch, but that’s the way he thinks, you know? That’s Luke’s mentality, ‘I want a more easy fight, win and Yoel Romero lose his last fight.”

Justin Golightly - December 9, 2017

Once it was announced that Luke Rockhold was fighting Robert Whittaker in Perth for the middleweight title, Kelvin Gastelum took to social media to voice his opinion and declare that he thought he was worthy of the shot. While it’d be easy to see Gastelum sitting on the sidelines waiting to see how that fight played out, it looks like he was offered a big fight with Yoel Romero to headline an early 2018 Brazilian card. According to Romero’s manager, the fight was turned down by Gastelum. It appears that this was the planned main event for #UFCBelem, Brazil on February the 3rd. https://t.co/O7duyUMv5v

Chris Taylor - November 26, 2017

Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping suffered his second stoppage loss in just three weeks at yesterday’s UFC event in Shanghai, China. After being put to sleep by Georges St-Pierre in the main event of UFC 217 on November 4, “The Count” decided to make a quick turnaround and accepted a short-notice fight with Kelvin Gastelum for November 25.

Chris Taylor - November 8, 2017

Well you knew this was coming! Yoel Romero has sent a clear message to bitter rival Michael Bisping following “The Count’s” UFC 217 title loss to Georges St-Pierre. In short, “The Soldier of God” was not impressed by Bisping’s performance (GSP voice).

Chris Taylor - November 7, 2017

Yoel Romero has a plan for when Georges St-Pierre announces that he will be vacating his newly obtained UFC middleweight title. The Canadian superstar, St-Pierre, returned from a near four-year hiatus last weekend where he defeated Michael Bisping in the main event of UFC 217 to become the UFC’s new middleweight champion.

Russell Ess - July 24, 2017

The middleweight division that seemed so chaotic just a short time ago seems shaking itself out. With Michael Bisping vs Georges St-Pierre no longer a hot topic for Dana White and Robert Whittaker now the interim middleweight champion, it seems pretty clear who Bisping will fight next. Now, a couple of the contenders may be figuring things out for themselves as former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold and Yoel Romero, who just lost to Whittaker in the interim title fight by unanimous decision, were going after each other on Twitter.

Tom Taylor - July 24, 2017

Earlier this month, in the main event of UFC 213, Cuba’s Yoel Romero stepped into the cage with Robert Whittaker in an interim middleweight title fight. Despite a strong start, Romero lost this fight by unanimous decision, thereby losing his chance a a title-unifying showdown with undisputed champ Michael Bisping. While Romero understands he’s lost this chance for the moment, however, he still wants to fight Bisping as soon as possible – whether it’s for the belt or not. This desire stems in large part from Bisping’s controversial ripping up of a Cuban flag during Romero’s fight with Whittaker.

Tom Taylor - July 17, 2017

Earlier this month, in the main event of the anticipated UFC 213, Cuban wrestler Yoel Romero stepped into the Octagon with surging Kiwi-Australian contender Robert Whittaker. The winner of this bout would be crowned the UFC’s interim middleweight champion, which would in turn earn them a title unifying showdown with undisputed middleweight champ Michael Bisping. Despite some real success in the first two rounds of the fight, Romero began to fade quickly in the third, and was ultimately pieced up by Whittaker for the remainder of the fight. The end result, then, was a pretty clear three rounds to two for the Australian, which meant that he, not Romero, would return home with the interim strap around his waist.