Chris Weidman vs. Yoel Romero Announced for UFC 205: Latest Details, Reaction

UFC President Dana White announced Tuesday morning that Chris Weidman and Yoel Romero will face off during the UFC 205 card at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 12. 

UFC Vice President of Public Relations Dave Sholler passed along word of White's confirmation of the high-profile clash, which was made during a radio appearance on WFAN's Boomer and Carton Show.

Weidman will be returning to the Octagon for the first time since dropping the UFC Middleweight Championship to Luke Rockhold by fourth-round knockout last December.

The 32-year-old New York native was supposed to get a rematch at UFC 199 but was forced to pull out of the fight after suffering a neck injury. Rockhold ended up fighting Michael Bisping instead and dropped the belt in his first defense after getting knocked out in the first round.

Weidman was hoping to step right back into the title picture after returning to full strength, but that didn't happen. Bisping is scheduled to defend the middleweight title against Dan Henderson, who owns a 3-6 record since 2013, at UFC 204.

Ryan Gerbosi of Newsday noted in August the former champion wasn't pleased with the decision.

"I don't understand, is this like a sport where people go through playoffs and win a championship, or is this purely entertainment where the UFC can pick whoever they feel like picking that day?" Weidman said. "So it's frustrating as a fighter because you don't know what you need to do to earn yourself that title shot."

Now he must shift his focus from that missed opportunity to Romero, who's undefeated in seven fights since joining the UFC.

The 39-year-old Olympic wrestling silver medalist is also coming off an extended layoff dating back to last December after serving a six-month suspension for a failed drug test.

Before that, the Cuban veteran had earned back-to-back impressive victories over Lyoto Machida and Ronaldo Souza to establish himself as a legitimate contender in the middleweight division.

The fight joins an already stacked card as UFC attempts to make a major splash with its official event in New York City at the World's Most Famous Arena. Dave Doyle of MMA Fighting commented on the growing list of marquee fights after Eddie Alvarez vs. Conor McGregor was announced:

Ultimately, the winner of the battle between Weidman and Romero should be in line to face whoever holds the middleweight belt after Bisping and Henderson square off. It's a step up in the level of competition for Romero, but Weidman has a lot to prove as well after the Rockhold loss.