UFC Fight Night Results: 5 Fights for Yoel Romero

Yoel Romero has established himself as a true contender at middleweight. After his smashing of Lyoto Machida, he will be pushed higher up the rankings and closer to a potential title shot if he keeps this momentum going.

Currently, champion Chris Weidman is set to face off against Luke Rockhold in the near future. With that match set, here are five suggestions for what the UFC could do with Romero in the meantime.

Ronaldo Souza

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Ronaldo Souza and Yoel Romero are on a collision course.

Romero and Jacare have been on a collision course for the last year. MMA Fighting reported on both missed opportunities that did not allow these two to meet in the Octagon.

They were initially set to face off at UFC 184 but Souza was forced off of the docket due to pneumonia. The fight was rescheduled for UFC on Fox 15, but this time, Romero was forced to back out after suffering a knee injury. Still, this is a fight that must happen.

Souza is currently ranked No. 2 in the division. He’s put together a strong winning streak since moving to the UFC from Strikeforce. In five fights, he hasn’t been threatened or put in danger by any of his opponents. Romero would pose an interesting challenge due to his power and high-level wrestling abilities. The winner of the fight would be a clear No. 1 contender to face the eventual champion.

Vitor Belfort

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Vitor Belfort is coming off of a loss but is still a big name.

Vitor Belfort is coming off a one-sided defeat to Chris Weidman at UFC 187. That loss hasn’t pushed him too far down the rankings as he is still in the No. 3 position. The former champion is well past the days in which he held a UFC title, but he’s still a big name on any resume.

Belfort is an aggressive fighter who attempts to finish opponents early in fights. Since coming back to the UFC in 2009, five of his six wins have come in the first round. The question is whether or not he would be able to overwhelm Romero in a similar fashion. Romero’s slow-paced style has the potential to stifle what Belfort would be able to do for an extended period of time in the cage.

Gegard Mousasi

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Gegard Mousasi is an often forgotten about former champion.

Gegard Mousasi is a fighter who is often overlooked as a top middleweight contender. Right now, the UFC ranks him at No. 7 position in the division, one spot behind Romero. Mousasi is a former champion in other organizations, such as Dream and Strikeforce, but The Dreamcatcher hasn’t translated to the UFC with much fanfare. 

Mousasi would be an interesting opponent for Romero because he shares a similar style. Mousasi controls the pace with his striking and usually doesn’t allow things to get out of control. His ability to maintain distance with his jab and footwork has helped him when facing aggressive opponents.

Romero’s ability to quickly move in and out would really be tested against a fighter like Mousasi because he’s shown the ability to remain at range in these situations.

Luke Rockhold

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Luke Rockhold is the next man in line for a title shot.

Luke Rockhold has leaped over Souza to become the No. 1 ranked middleweight in the promotion. While he awaits his shot at the title, the UFC should consider using Romero as a contingency plan if either Rockhold or Weidman fall out of the pending battle due to injury.

Both fighters have struggled with injuries in the past, so news that either one was injured during fight camp would not be surprising. Still, the UFC needs to have a plan in place in order to keep a high-profile bout on tap.

When looking at Rockhold vs. Romero, there are clear lines that differentiate the two. Rockhold would hold the advantage in striking, as he is a diverse competitor on his feet. Romero would be able to control the positing of the fight. Rockhold has shown the ability to defeat opponents both quickly and via judge’s decision. This would be a clear test to see how far Romero can grow as a fighter at this point in his career.

Chris Weidman

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Chris Weidman is the middleweight kingpin.

The current middleweight champion is sitting atop a division with a number of men that would be stiff challengers for his title. Rockhold is the next man in line, but Romero is close behind him. If Romero is needed to step in as a last-minute replacement, Weidman would face an interesting test to his skill set.

Weidman is a wrestler who has incorporated striking into his game. The question is whether or not he would be able to deal with Romero’s power, because the Cuban fighter would hold the advantage when it comes to wrestling. If Weidman could not score a takedown, his strategy would have to change, which means he could find himself on the wrong end of Romero’s power.