Tag: Yoel Romero

Yoel Romero calls for shot at the Bellator middleweight title, hopes bout goes down in Europe

Yoel Romero wants his shot at Bellator gold after knocking out Melvin Manhoef.

[autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] knows what he wants.

The Cuban star is determined to drop back to middleweight and challenge champion Johnny Eblen for the Bellator title. Romero (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA, who’s fresh off a dominant KO win over fellow veteran Melvin Manhoef in the co-main event of Friday’s Bellator 285 in Dublin, thinks it’s time he challenges for a title and hopes it goes down in Europe.

“For the people at 205, chill out, relax a little bit, now we’re going to 185,” Romero said at the Bellator 285 post-fight press conference. “Now what we’re looking at and what’s cooking, it’s challenging for the title at 185 pounds.

“If that option does present itself to challenge for the belt at 185, I’d like to do it here in Europe. The fan base here is fantastic. The warmth invites you to fight, and makes you want to put a show for the fans.”

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With this result, Romero is now on a two-fight winning streak since losing his Bellator debut.

The Cuban fighter debuted for the promotion in September of last year, losing to former Bellator champion Phil Davis in a split decision. He then followed up that performance with a brutal TKO of Alex Polizzi at Bellator 280 in May before Friday’s return.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 285.

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Yoel Romero def. Melvin Manhoef at Bellator 285: Best photos

Check out these photos from Yoel Romero vs. Melvin Manhoef at Bellator 285 in Dublin, Ireland.

Check out these photos from Yoel Romero’s knockout victory over Melvin Manhoef in the co-main event of Bellator 285 at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)

Scott Coker likes Yoel Romero at light heavyweight, but won’t stand in way of drop after Bellator 285

Even though he doesn’t fully agree, Scott Coker is willing to let Yoel Romero drop a weight class if he’d like.

After [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] barked into the camera like a dog center-cage, he loudly declared to a raucous Dublin crowd what he wants next – and that’s a crack at middleweight gold.

In the Bellator 285 co-main event Friday, Romero (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) brutally knocked out a retiring Melvin Manhoef (32-16-1 MMA, 4-5 BMMA) with elbows in the third round. The victory was his second in a row for the promotion, but both victories were at light heavyweight.

Romero is adamant about a middleweight run. Even though Bellator president Scott Coker likes what he sees at light heavyweight, he revealed post-fight that he won’t stand in the way of a weight drop.

“Yoel wants to fight at 185 and he hasn’t fought with us at 185 yet,” Coker said at a post-fight news conference. “He looked good tonight, very calm and very composed. He did a lot of damage and he looked really good. That’s something that’s going to have to be a decision that he’s going to make. To me, I feel like 205 is a good weight class.

“If you look at him, he looks in shape. He looks calm. He’s a beast. I think he looks good at 205. If he really wants to cut and make the weight, that’s going to be up to him. We’ll figure out with his management who was here today and they’ve already started talking in my ear about making the 185 run. If he’s serious about it, then we’d definitely consider it.”

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Romero, 45, has won back-to-back fights in 2022 after a 2021 promotional debut loss against Phil Davis by unanimous decision.

As is the case with most of his post-fight news conferences, Coker was unwilling to commit to a declaration of Romero’s next matchup. It’s unclear if a title shot will be next or if he’ll face another contender first.

At middleweight, the current Bellator champion is undefeated American Top Team fighter [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA), who weighed in on Romero’s win in a brief tweet Friday.

“Just another legend I can retire,” Eblen wrote. “Nothing to see here.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 285.

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Bellator 285 results: Yoel Romero smashes Melvin Manhoef in knockout win, calls for title shot

Yoel Romero continues to build momentum under the Bellator banner.

[autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] continues to build momentum under the Bellator banner.

The multiple-time UFC title challenger defeated [autotag]Melvin Manhoef[/autotag] in the co-main event of Bellator 285. Romero (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) put on a dominant showing, stopping Manhoef (32-16-1 MMA, 4-5 BMMA) with brutal ground-and-pound in the third round of their light heavyweight contest.

Bellator 285 took place Friday at 3Arena in Dublin. The main card aired on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

In the first round, Romero dropped Manhoef early with a leg kick and then followed him to the ground. From there, the former UFC title challenger controlled the action while landing ground-and-pound. After a couple of minutes of control, Romero locked an Americana, but wasn’t able to finish it. He continued to control Manhoef from the top until the bell.

The second round was much more striking based. Both fighters exchanged at a fairly slow rate, but were still entertaining. They were loading up plenty in their shots. Romero seemed to get the better of the shots and also had more volume. The threat of the takedown really seemed to hinder Manhoef’s output.

The third looked to be another standup fight, but three minutes in, Romero closed the gap and took down Manhoef against the cage. He stayed patient from half-guard and landed big shots. The strikes began to accumulate and the referee had no choice, but to stop the bout. It was a dominant showing by Romero.

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With this result, Romero is now on a two-fight winning streak since losing his Bellator debut. The Cuban fighter debuted for the promotion in September of last year, losing to former Bellator champion Phil Davis in a split decision. He then followed up that performance with a brutal TKO of Alex Polizzi at Bellator 280 in May before Friday’s return.

Meanwhile, Manhoef finds himself in an opposite standing to Romero. Manhoef has now two defeats in a row, as he was previously finished by Corey Anderson back at Bellator 251 in November 2020. The 46-year-old has been fighting professionally in combat sports since the mid 90’s. He told MMA Junkie in the lead up to Bellator 285 that this was the last fight on his Bellator contract and that he was likely going to retire. After the bout, Manhoef made his retirement official and left his gloves in the middle of the cage.

Official Bellator 285 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 285.

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Twitter reacts to Yoel Romero’s brutal KO of retiring Melvin Manhoef at Bellator 285

See the top Twitter reactions to Yoel Romero’s lopsided knockout in Melvin Manhoef’s retirement bout at Bellator 285.

[autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] has back-to-back wins on his record for the first time since 2016 after beating [autotag]Melvin Manhoef[/autotag] in the Bellator 285 co-main event.

Romero (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) sent Manhoef (32-16-1 MMA, 4-5 BMMA) into retirement on a low note when he earned a third-round knockout victory in Friday’s light heavyweight co-headliner, which took place at 3Arena in Dublin.

“The Soldier of God” now puts himself in a prominent position in the company, and could be on the cusp of a title shot.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Romero’s victory over Manhoef at Bellator 285

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Bellator 285 preliminary stream and live results

Watch the preliminary stream and keep up with live and official results of Bellator 285 in Dublin, Ireland.

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Bellator 285 takes place Friday, and you can join MMA Junkie for the preliminary live stream and official results.

The event takes place at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

In the main event, [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (29-11 MMA, 6-6 BMMA) steps into the backyard of Ireland’s [autotag]Peter Queally[/autotag] (13-6-1 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) for a lightweight showdown.

The co-feature will see [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (14-6 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) take on [autotag]Melvin Manhoef[/autotag] (32-15-1 MMA, 4-4 BMMA) in a light heavyweight bout.

Official Bellator 285 results include:

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Benson Henderson def. Peter Queally via unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 49-45)
  • Yoel Romero def. Melvin Manhoef via knockout (elbows) – Round 3, 3:34
  • [autotag]Leah McCourt[/autotag] def. [autotag]Dayana Silva[/autotag] via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • [autotag]Pedro Carvalho[/autotag] def. [autotag]Mads Burnell[/autotag] via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-29, 29-28)
  • [autotag]Ciaran Clarke[/autotag] def. [autotag]Rafael Hudson[/autotag] via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 2:50
  • [autotag]Karl Moore[/autotag] def. [autotag]Karl Albrektsson[/autotag] via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:36

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 1 p.m. ET)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 285.

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Bellator 285: Best photos from Dublin

Check out these photos from the fights at Bellator 285 which took place at 3Arena in Dublin.

Check out these photos from the fights at Bellator 285 which took place at 3Arena in Dublin. (Photos courtesy of Lucas Noonan, Bellator MMA)

Yoel Romero warns Anderson Silva not to go toe to toe vs. Jake Paul: ‘This young man could hurt him’

Yoel Romero gives his pick for Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva.

[autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] has a close eye on the upcoming boxing match between Anderson Silva and Jake Paul.

The former UFC middleweight title challenger and current Bellator contender is picking Silva to beat Paul in their eight-round bout scheduled for Oct. 29 in Phoenix. But despite siding with Silva, Romero (14-6 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) does acknowledge that Paul is not out of the race in this one.

The Cuban fighter, who returns to action this Friday at Bellator 285 against veteran Melvin Manhoef, warns his fellow MMA fighter to not go to war with the much younger Paul.

“If Anderson appeals to experience, he can win,” Romero told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “Now, he can’t go toe to toe. A hit from this young man could hurt him, you know. But I think it will go to decision, that’s my point of view.”

Romero also wants to fight Paul in the ring. He hopes to cross over into the boxing world before it’s all said and done.

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Romero thinks if Silva fights smart and is still able to defy father time, the former UFC middleweight king should be able to beat Paul. But again, that all depends on what version of Silva steps in the ring.

“I’m always on Anderson’s side,” Romero said. “First of all, for what he means to me on a personal basis, I respect him a lot – regardless that we almost fought like on two occasions. That doesn’t take away to me recognizing his greatness as an athlete and a person.

“I think that if he is still healthy, stays in shape, and has good conditioning – and also hasn’t lost his reflexes, abilities, and strengths – I think Anderson takes it because he has the experience on his advantage. Now, what could kill him are those three things I mentioned – strength quickness, and his precision. If he still has those things, that’s all he’ll need.”

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Bellator 285 predictions: There’s one fight we’re not unanimous on in Dublin

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 285 main card in Dublin, which features Benson Henderson vs. Peter Queally.

Henderson
vs.
Queally		 Manhoef
vs.
Romero		 McCourt
vs.
Silva		 Burnell
vs.
Carvalho
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
147-90		 henderson2022
Henderson
(68%)		 romero2022
Romero
(87%)		 mccourt2022
McCourt
(87%)		 burnell2022
Burnell
(82%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
162-86
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 mccourt2022
McCourt		 burnell2022
Burnell
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
158-90		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 mccourt2022
McCourt		 burnell2022
Burnell
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
156-92
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 mccourt2022
McCourt		 burnell2022
Burnell
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
154-94		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 mccourt2022
McCourt		 burnell2022
Burnell
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
153-95		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 mccourt2022
McCourt		 burnell2022
Burnell
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
152-96		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 mccourt2022
McCourt		 burnell2022
Burnell
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
152-96		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 mccourt2022
McCourt		 burnell2022
Burnell
Nolan King
@mma_kings
146-102		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 silva2022
Silva		 burnell2022
Burnell
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
145-103
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 silva2022
Silva		 burnell2022
Burnell
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
135-113		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 mccourt2022
McCourt		 burnell2022
Burnell
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
121-126		 henderson2022
Henderson		 romero2022
Romero		 silva2022
Silva		 burnell2022
Burnell

(Editor’s note: The fight between Ciaran Clarke and late opponent Rafael Hudson was added too late for our staff picks deadline.)

Bellator returns to Ireland this week with a former title challenger at the top the card.

Bellator 285 takes place Friday at 3Arena in Dublin. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, former UFC lightweight champion and two-time Bellator title challenger (at lightweight and welterweight) [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (29-11 MMA, 6-6 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Peter Queally[/autotag] (13-6-1 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) in a lightweight bout. Henderson is more than a 2-1 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Queally is +160. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have Henderson as one of three unanimous picks at 11-0.

The co-main event is a light heavyweight bout between former Bellator middleweight title challenger [autotag]Melvin Manhoef[/autotag] (32-15-1 MMA, 4-4 BMMA) and former UFC title challenger [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (14-6 MMA, 1-1 BMMA). Romero is a massive -800 favorite and, not surprisingly, is one of our three unanimous picks.

Also on the main card is the only contentious fight among our pickers at women’s featherweight between [autotag]Leah McCourt[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) vs. [autotag]Dayana Silva[/autotag] (10-7 MMA, 1-2 BMMA). Although Silva is a -140 favorite at the betting window, It’s McCourt who has a big 8-3 lead in the picks.

And former Cage Warriors featherweight champ [autotag]Mads Burnell[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) will try to get back on track against former title challenger [autotag]Pedro Carvalho[/autotag] (12-6 MMA, 5-3 BMMA). Burnell nearly is a 5-1 favorite and our third unanimous pick.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Henderson (68 percent), Romero (87 percent), McCourt (87 percent) and Burnell (82 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 285.

Bellator 285 ceremonial faceoffs: Handshakes, grinding foreheads, and a dog bone

Twenty-six athletes partook in Bellator 285 ceremonial faceoffs including Benson Henderson, Peter Queally, Yoel Romero, and Melvin Manhoef.

Bellator 285 takes place Friday at 3Arena in Dublin and Thursday, competitors came face-to-face one final time ahead of their respective bouts.

Among those who squared off were headliners [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (29-11 MMA, 6-6 BMMA) and [autotag]Peter Queally[/autotag] (13-6-1 MMA, 2-2 BMMA), who are set to compete in a five-round lightweight bout. Also on the card, former UFC middleweight title challenger [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (14-6 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) serves as the final test for [autotag]Melvin Manhoef[/autotag] (32-15-1 MMA, 4-4 BMMA), a combat sports legend expected to compete in his last MMA bout.

Four of the most experienced fighters on the card, the headliners and co-headliners remained respectful with handshakes after their faceoffs.

The ceremonial faceoffs came hours after all 26 fighters made weight at the host hotel.

The most intense interaction of the ceremony was between preliminary card openers [autotag]Luca Poclit[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Dante Schiro[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 1-1 BMMA). The two welterweight fighters ground forehead against forehead until promotion and commission officials intervened.

The full Bellator 285 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Benson Henderson vs. Peter Queally
  • Melvin Manhoef vs. Yoel Romero
  • Leah McCourt vs. Dayana Silva
  • Mads Burnell vs. Pedro Carvalho
  • Ciaran Clarke vs. Rafael Hudson – 140-pound contract weight

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 1 p.m. ET)

  • Brett Johns vs. Jordan Winski
  • Arivaldo Lima da Silva vs. Brian Moore
  • Karl Albrektsson vs. Karl Moore
  • Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Kane Mousah
  • Darragh Kelly vs. Kye Stevens
  • Alex Bodnar vs. Kenny Mokhonoana
  • Asael Adjoudj vs. Jordan Barton
  • Luca Poclit vs. Dante Schiro

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 285.

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