Tag: Yoel Romero

Manager explains how Yoel Romero got UFC 248 title shot vs. Israel Adesanya off two losses

Yoel Romero becomes the first in UFC history to challenge for a title following consecutive losses when he faces Israel Adesanya at UFC 248.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] is set to become the first fighter in UFC history to challenge for a championship following consecutive losses when he goes for the middleweight belt against [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] at UFC 248.

Although there’s going to be layer of controversy attached any time a fighter goes into a title bout under the conditions Romero (13-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) faces, the headlining bout of the March 7 pay-per-view event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, seems among the more justifiable.

Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) specifically asked the UFC to set up the booking, and the timing worked out because consensus No. 1 contender Paulo Costa is still recovering from bicep surgery.

Romero might be 1-3 in his past four fights and coming off back-to-back losses, but all those fights have come down to the wire and ended in competitive decisions. He could just as easily be 4-0 in that stretch, and his manager, Abraham Kawa of First Round Management, said he thinks Adesanya recognizes the reality of the situation.

“If you’re looking at it from Izzy’s eyes, and Izzy has been very forthcoming and very honest, he said, ‘That’s the boogeyman, that’s the top of the division, that’s the guy I want to fight,'” Kawa told MMA Junkie. “I give all the respect in the world to Izzy for saying that because I believe Izzy in his heart believes (Romero) beat Costa, he beat Rob (Whittaker) possibly once, maybe twice depending on how you look at it. So, he could’ve possibly been defending his title a few times now. So I like the fact he did that Izzy said, ‘That the guy I want to go after.’ Let’s do it.”

It’s not difficult to poke holes in the matchmaking between Romero and Adesanya. It strays away from norm of granting title fights to the most deserving or proven contender, but Kawa doesn’t think this particular instance is difficult to defend.

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“This is still entertainment, so this is a business where the most exciting fighters are always going to be put on the biggest platforms, to be able to fight for the biggest prizes,” Kawa said. “If you are not exciting, it’s kind of hard to put you in a position to grow and be there. Taking nothing away from Costa, he apparently has an injury to his bicep and whatnot. It’s unfortunate for him. But one person’s unfortunate situation is another person’s fortunate situation.

“In our case they have no one else at 185 who can actually do that. It wasn’t just an example of having nobody else. Not having anybody else there, it’s only one part of it. You could’ve had someone else jump Yoel. Someone that drops down from light heavyweight to drop down to 185 to get that shot.”

For Romero, the clash with Adesanya is a pivotal moment in his career. At 42, a victory would make “The Soldier of God” the second-oldest champion in UFC history behind Randy Couture, who held the heavyweight strap at 44.

This could be the last opportunity Romero gets to fight for a title in his career, but Kawa said his client is not looking at the end. He hasn’t seen a drop-off in Romero’s talent, and retirement won’t come into play until that happens.

“His answer to me has always been the same, over and over again: When God tells me to step away, I will step away,” Kawa said. “What he means by that is when God takes his abilities physically away from him, I think he’ll know it. He’ll know it before any of us even see it on tape, see it on camera, whatever it may be. Once that gets taken from him he will say, ‘I can’t do it anymore. It’s over.’ But as of right now there’s nothing that says he is even close to done. So get ready.”

To hear from Kawa on Romero, watch the video above, and for our full interview, watch the video below.

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Israel Adesanya defends middleweight title against Yoel Romero at UFC 248

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has been booked for his first title defense, and it goes down in less than two months.

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] and [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] asked and they received.

Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) will defend his UFC middleweight title against Romero (13-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) in the main event of UFC 248.

UFC 248 takes place March 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card streams on pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

Rumblings of a matchup between Adesanya and Romero began all the way back on Oct. 29, when Adesanya tweeted out a screenshot of a text conversation between himself and coach Eugene Bareman. In the conversation, his coach suggested Romero be next. Adesanya agreed.

The tweet sparked weeks of respectful back-and-forth, with both men calling for a fight against one another. But why Romero? Adesanya explained his desire to fight the two-time title challenger in a November interview.

“No one asked to fight Yoel,” Adesanya said. “I said I want to fight the baddest (expletive) in there. So we called him out even though he’s on a two-fight losing streak. He’s lost three of his last four.

“For the stark, it’s not just not good for business. I’m a charitable guy and I think he’s a beast. Regardless of records. (Expletive) records. He’s a bad (expletive).”

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UFC 248 will mark Adesanya’s first UFC title defense. In early October, Adesanya traded in his interim title for an undisputed one when he knocked out then-champion Robert Whittaker in the second round of their UFC 243 headliner.

Prior to the victory, Adesanya defeated Kelvin Gastelum in a “Fight of the Year” candidate at UFC 236 in April. “The Last Style Bender” is undefeated in his UFC tenure, also holding wins over Brad Tavares and Derek Brunson among others.

As for Romero, the 42-year-old middleweight has lost his two most recent fights – and three out of his most recent four. With three losses in that stretch, two were close decisions dropped to Robert Whittaker. The third, and most recent, was a close decision loss to Paulo Costa at UFC 241 in August.

This week, during UFC 246 fight week in Las Vegas, there were rumblings undefeated Paulo Costa might get the next shot at the belt instead of Romero,  as it became apparent a fight was going to have to be made soon, with less than two months to go until UFC 248. But the announcement put those talks to rest once and for all.

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Israel Adesanya on track for UFC 248, but Paulo Costa could replace Yoel Romero

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is expected to defend his title at UFC 248, but his opponent has yet to be determined.

LAS VEGAS – UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] is expected to defend his title at UFC 248, but his opponent has yet to be determined.

UFC president Dana White confirmed the promotion is still actively looking to book Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) vs. [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) in the main event of the March 7 event at T-Mobile Arena, despite the organization’s hesitancy to make an official announcement.

“There’s no holdup on it all,” White told MMA Junkie following Wednesday’s UFC 246 news conference. “That’s the fight we’re trying to make. It would be those two and Weili Zhang vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk.”

There is one wrinkle in the company’s plans, though. Undefeated contender [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC), who earned a title shot with an August win over Romero at UFC 241 but then revealed a bicep injury might keep him out of the planned booking, has now re-entered the picture.

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“The only question is, I don’t know if you’ve seen on social media, but if you look at Costa, he looks like he’s ready to go again, and he’s pushing hard saying, ‘I could take this fight,'” White said

If you look at him online, he looks great and everything else, but we want to hear it from a doctor. We want a doctor to tell us that this guy is going to be OK to fight sooner. Why rush it?

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2020 vamos com tudo

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@teamborracha_oficial

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With UFC 248 a little more than seven weeks away, company officials will certainly be looking to go on sale with tickets sooner rather than later, which means a decision will need to be made in the very near future. But with a blockbuster UFC 246 event set for this weekend, White didn’t seem to feel pressured when asked if there’s a deadline in place to make the call.

“We’re working on it,” White said.

Adesanya currently sits at No. 1 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie middleweight rankings, with Costa just behind at No. 2, and Romero checking in at No. 4

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MMA Junkie’s 2019 ‘Fight of the Year’: Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum

Here are the top four honorable mentions and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Fight of the Year” award for 2019.

With another action-packed year of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie takes a look at the best fights from January to December. Here are the top five and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Fight of the Year” award for 2019.

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Honorable mentions

5. Henry Cejudo def. Marlon Moraes at UFC 238

[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) made more combat sports history when he defeated [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (23-6-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) to claim the vacant bantamweight belt after a stunning turnaround.

Cejudo, who came into the event as flyweight champ, became the fourth simultaneous two-division titleholder in company history with a third-round TKO victory over Moraes to claim the 135-pound strap.

4. Vicente Luque def. Bryan Barberena at UFC on ESPN 1

[autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] (17-7-1 MMA, 10-3 UFC) continued to show he’s among the most dangerous fighters in the welterweight division when he came out on the winning end of an all-out war with [autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag] (14-7 MMA, 5-5 UFC).

Luque kept his perfect UFC stoppage rate intact when at the end of a wild, thrilling, back-and-forth fight with Barberena, he put together a combination of knees that finally dropped his opponent and led to the stoppage with just six seconds remaining in final round.

3. Kamaru Usman def. Colby Covington at UFC 245

The highly anticipated welterweight title fight between [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) and [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) surpassed all pre-fight expectations, but in the end it was the champion who came away with his title reign intact.

Usman and Covington went toe-to-toe for nearly five rounds, exchanging strikes on the feet and not once putting a wholehearted effort into a takedown attempt. Usman proved more dangerous on the feet in the matchup of wrestlers, breaking Covington’s jaw before dropping and stopping him in the fifth for the fight-ending TKO.

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This is how you make a fucking statement #ufc245

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2. Paulo Costa def. Yoel Romero at UFC 241

[autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) validated himself as a true middleweight contender when he defeated [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) in a bout that was every bit as exciting as it was billed to be beforehand.

Costa joined reigning 185-pound king Robert Whittaker as the only fighters to beat Romero in UFC competition when he earned a unanimous-decision victory in a matchup that was deemed “Fight of the Night” on one of the best cards of the year.

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The Winner: Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236

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In one of the best fights in recent memory, [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) claimed the UFC’s interim middleweight title in a classic five-round thriller with [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) in the main event of UFC 236 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

Gastelum moved quickly to the center at the start of the fight, while Adesanya was content to study from range. A few probing kicks and punches just touched the mark for Adesanya before Gastelum rushed forward with a pair of leaping power punches that missed. Gastelum looked comfortable in the pocket with Adesanya, and his left hand did land clean, leaving his opponent off-balance for a few tense steps away from the fence.

Adesanya continued to be the more accurate striker with his flicking shots, but Gastelum was finding the mark on occasion with his powerful blows. Adesanya’s movement saw him avoid Gastelum’s biggest shots, but he certainly wasn’t untouchable.

Adesanya was a little more aggressive to open the second, kicking at the body and then punching up top. Gastelum continued to press, looping the left hand over the top when in tight. Adesanya tried to attach high, but Gastelum’s defense was solid, and he countered with a beautiful straight punch down the middle. The big left followed shortly after, as well.

Adesanya did his best to slip and move on the outside, but Gastelum was undeniably finding the mark. As he gained confidence, Gastelum pressed, and Adesanya made him pay with a counter right that sent him crashing to the floor. Adesanya followed, but Gastelum was able to crawl back to his feet and reset.

Adesanya’s punches were beginning to land with more authority as the round unfolded. He countered well and again saw a right hand snap his opponent’s head back. A slick reverse elbow stunned Gastelum, who shot for the takedown unsuccessfully after being wobbled. Gastelum grabbed the body again in the final seconds but couldn’t get the fight to the floor.

Gastelum appeared energized to start the third, bouncing lightly on the outside and loading up on the big left. The crowd started chanting Adesanya’s name, and he looked confident on the outside. A brief Thai clinch saw Adesanya land a knee up the middle, but Gastelum pulled away and remained upright. Gastelum leaped forward with a few right hands, but Adesanya’s counters were well-timed and proved the more effective blows.

Adesanya’s right hand really started to find a home as the round unfolded, and Gastelum’s face showed the wear of the blows. In the final 90 seconds, Gastelum was able to drive forward and score a clean takedown, but Adesanya was instantly scrambling and back up on his feet, looking to strike. The two traded a few low kicks before the bell, and the round ended on the feet.

Gastelum came forward quickly in the fourth, and his punches came with bad intentions. Adesanya was forced to move laterally to avoid the chase, but he eventually found his way back to the center of the cage. Adesanya’s right hand again found a home, but Gastelum was able to shake it off and resume his pressure attack, eventually getting inside and briefly holding a clinch, though he wasn’t able to capitalize.

Adesanya tried to turn up the heat late in the frame, though his punches were met with powerful replies. Each time Adesanya tried to completely unload, Gastelum would swing back with menacing responses. A Gastelum high kick landed clean and stunned Adesanya in the final minute, and he couldn’t hide the repercussions. Gastelum charged to capitalize, but Adesanya was able to avoid the follow-ups and scamper to safety. Adesanya pressed inside at the bell, and the round ended against the fence.

With the fight in the balance in the final round, the crowd rose to their feet. Gastelum was incredibly aggressive again to open, but Adesanya shifted left and stayed out of trouble. Adesanya chopped the leg and then delivered a few straight punches that landed clean, but Gastelum would not go away. Gastelum continued to stalk from the center before shooting inside and looking for the takedown. Adesanya countered with a guillotine, but Gastelum slipped out of it after several very tense moments. As they hit the floor, Gastelum slipped to the top, but Adesanya threatened with a triangle choke and then an armbar in an amazing scramble. Gastelum pulled free, and the two returned to the feet.

On the restart, Adesanya went to work, peppering his opponent with stiff punches to the face. Gastelum absorbed them all and swung back, but it was clear the strikes were having an effect. Adesanya’s quick punches continued to score, and Gastelum failed on a takedown attempt. With time winding down, Gastelum moved forward. However, it was Adesanya’s punches that were true, and he again dropped his opponent with a little more than a minute remaining.

Gastelum refused to go away that easily, crawling to his feet and looking to attack. However, Adesanya was there to deliver more damage, bloodying Gastelum and sending him crashing to the canvas. Gastelum stood once again, but Adesanya was unrelenting and dropped him once again, finishing the final round with a barrage of punches on the floor. In the end, Adesanya was awarded the decision win and the interim title with scores of 48-46 across the board. He would then go to successful unify the titles with a second-round knockout of Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 in October.

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20 fights on our MMA wishlist for 2020

Here are 20 fights MMA Junkie hopes to see happen in 2020.

With a new year comes new things, including good ol’-fashioned fist fights. What kinds of matchups are we hoping to see in 2020? What kinds of bookings do we want the MMA gods to bless us with? 

Here’s a list of some ideas and why they may (or may not) make sense:

Dillon Danis

20. [autotag]A.J. Agazarm[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag]

This list is being kicked off by “El Jefe” himself. I know this will automatically trigger the Twitter trolls, but hear me out. Danis and Agazarm easily are two of the best grapplers Bellator has in its lighter weight classes. The two have competed against each other plenty of times in the grappling world and they don’t have a lot of love for each other. Their name value doesn’t match their experience level in MMA, so they both often have fights against unknown opponents, which makes their fights hard to promote.

So why not pit them against each other? It makes sense for both fighters skill-level wise, it could be a fun buildup, and we could certainly see some fun, world-class jiu-jitsu.

Bryce Mitchell

19. [autotag]Kron Gracie[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]

Let’s keep the jiu-jitsu train rolling. Gracie is jiu-jitsu royalty and Mitchell scored a cool-looking submission in his most recent fight – a twister. The UFC certainly is not shy about throwing Gracie against someone with far more experience (cough, cough – Cub Swanson). I know Mitchell is a bit more experienced than Gracie, but not by a crazy margin. Both guys need fights and have interesting and opposing personalities. Why not?

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