We will not be seeing Yoel Romero soon or likely ever again in the UFC Octagon.
According to an ESPN report, Yoel Romero and the UFC have parted ways despite Romero having three fights remaining on his deal. This sudden move was confirmed by Romero’s manager Malki Kawa. Romero is 43 years old.
The last time we saw Yoel Romero compete will likely haunt him. He came up short in his last chance at becoming a UFC champion in what most consider to be a quite underwhelming performance against Israel Adesanya at UFC 248. Romero lost the bout by unanimous decision, making the legend 0-3 in UFC title fights.
Yoel Romero is certainly on the shortlist of greatest fighters to never win UFC gold, and somewhat ironically he would have won the UFC interim middleweight title when he knocked out Luke Rockhold at UFC 221, but he failed to make weight and was thus ineligible to win the title.
Unlike other aging fighters, Yoel Romero did not have a noticeably significant dropoff and was still a main event level fighter. In fact, four of his last five fights were title fights and main events, and the one that was not won him Fight of the Night against Paulo Costa at UFC 241. Romero became known for his superhero athleticism and has become somewhat of a mythical legend for some of the athletic feats he has pulled off, his timelessly sculpted physique, and his ability to consistently put on a show for the fans.
Yoel Romero made his UFC debut in 2013. Since then, he went 9-4 in the promotion, earning multiple performance bonuses along the way. Keep your eyes on the free agency ticker, because even at 43, Romero is likely to have suitors unless he decides to retire from the sport.
What are your thoughts on the UFC and Yoel Romero suddenly parting ways?
