On September 18, Yoel Romero made his Bellator debut. He will fight in the main event of Bellator 266 against Phil Davis, who could not be more excited to welcome Romero to both the Bellator promotion and the light heavyweight division.
Romero, despite his hulking physique, fought at middleweight for much of his UFC career. In Bellator, however, the 44-year-old combat sports veteran will be competing at light heavyweight.
Phil Davis Looking Forward to Fighting Yoel Romero
Davis told BJPenn.com that his answer, when offered the Romero fight, was quick and simple. “Absolutely. I’ve only wanted to fight big fights, the biggest names, and the toughest fighters.
Romero may have avoided the ring since March 2020, but that doesn’t mean he’s lost his ability. Davis won’t be underestimating Romero’s fighting prowess, despite his age and time away from the octagon.
“Yoel’s a difficult guy to prepare for no matter what. He’s powerful, very explosive, having said that, he’s always a tough guy to prepare for. But, the biggest thing is getting a read on him early and figuring out his timing and distance.”
Romero enters Bellator on the back of a three-fight losing streak in the UFC. He most recently lost a unanimous decision to middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. In that fight, neither Romero nor Adesanya proved willing to engage for any length of time, instead feinting and circling one another for the duration of the bout. Phil Davis doesn’t plan on letting that happen.
“I think he will stand and strike, I doubt he will try and wrestle. Even though he has the wrestling background, he doesn’t use it all that much.
He seems like he always goes for the knockout. But, for me, I know I’m well-rounded and I don’t tire easy and I can make the fight difficult for Yoel. I can also take a punch but I have good footwork and can get out of the way.”
Davis will be looking to fight a top-ranked opponent if he can secure a win against Romero, perhaps even before the year is out.
“I can say I want another fight in by the end of the year, but that all depends on how healthy I leave this fight. A win here puts me near the top of the division. Yoel’s stature and what he’s accomplished is a big win for me.”
Which way do you see Romero vs Davis going this weekend? Will Yoel Romero return to winning ways in a new weight division and promotion, or is his time over? Let us know in the comments.
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