Yoel Romero
| Yoel Romero | |
|---|---|
 Romero in Dagestan | |
| Born | Yoel Romero Palacio April 30, 1977 Pinar del Río, Cuba |
| Other names | Soldier of God |
| Residence | Miami, Florida, United States |
| Nationality | Cuban[1] |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2] |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st) |
| Division | Light heavyweight Middleweight |
| Reach | 75.0 in (191 cm)[3] |
| Style | Wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Fighting out of | Coconut Creek, Florida, United States |
| Team | American Top Team |
| Wrestling | Olympic Freestyle Wrestling |
| Years active | 2009-present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 11 |
| Wins | 10 |
| By knockout | 9 |
| By decision | 1 |
| Losses | 1 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| Notable relatives | Yoan Pablo Hernández, brother[4] |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Yoel Romero Palacio (born April 30, 1977) is a Cuban mixed martial artist (MMA) and former World Champion and Olympic silver medalist in freestyle wrestling. He competes in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and formerly competed in the now-defunct Strikeforce organization. Romero is #3 in the official UFC middleweight rankings.[5]
Wrestling career
Romero competed in both the 2000 Summer Olympics and the 2004 Summer Olympics, representing his home nation of Cuba. He won the silver medal in the 2000 freestyle competition, losing to Adam Saitiev in the finals.[6] He finished in 4th place in 2004. While competing in freestyle wrestling, Romero has defeated 3 different Olympic gold medal winners, and 5 different world champions.[7] Among them were Americans Cael Sanderson and Les Gutches, both of whom Romero has multiple victories over.
He also represented Cuba at the senior level in the FILA Wrestling World Championships, which is held in non-Olympic years, from 1997-2005. At the 1999 World Wrestling Championships Romero became world champ by defeating the 1996 Olympic gold medalist, Khadzhimurad Magomedov of Russia. He controversially missed out on becoming world champ again in 2002. After landing a 3 point throw against Adam Saitiev to take a 3-2 lead, Romero was penalized a point for passivity with 20 seconds remaining. In overtime after a scramble saw Romero end on top, it was judged Saitiev had scored in the interim.
Romero medaled in 5 total world championships, only missing out with his 5th place finish in 1997, and 6th place finish in 2003. Other notable achievements include a gold medal at the 2003 Pan American Games, a quadrennial competition held the year before the Olympics, as well as multiple 1st place finishes at the FILA Wrestling World Cup. Romero competed sparingly after 2005 - he was suspended for all of 2006 by the Cuban Wrestling Federation for allegedly throwing his match against Mindorashvili at the 2005 World Championships. After winning the Grand Prix of Germany in the summer of 2007, he would not return to Cuba, instead staying in Germany and pursuing a career in MMA.
World Championships/Olympic Games Matches
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
After defecting in 2007 to Germany,[8] Romero made his professional mixed martial arts debut in December 2009. Over the next two years, he amassed an undefeated record of 4-0 in various promotions throughout Germany and Poland.
He won his debut via TKO against Sascha Weinpolter. He then took on Polish standout Michał Fijałka in his second bout.[9] After a dominating performance, Yoel won in the third round via TKO, which was at first ruled a controversial disqualification, due to a knee on the ground thrown by Romero. In 2011, he won his next two fights via TKO in the first round.
Strikeforce
Romero signed with Strikeforce in July 2011 and made his promotional debut against Rafael Cavalcante on September 10, 2011 at Strikeforce 36.[10] He lost the fight via KO in the second round. A neck injury kept him out of action until 2013.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Romero made his UFC and middleweight debut against Clifford Starks on April 20, 2013 at UFC on Fox 7.[11] He won the fight via KO in the first round. The win also earned him Knockout of the Night honors.[12]
Romero was expected to face Derek Brunson on August 31, 2013 at UFC 164.[13] However, Brunson suffered an injury and pulled out of the bout. Promotional newcomer Brian Houston was briefly linked as a replacement, however Houston was not medically cleared to compete at the event and the bout was cancelled.[14]
In his second UFC bout, Romero faced Ronny Markes on November 6, 2013 at UFC Fight Night 31.[15] He won the fight via knockout in the third round.
For his third fight, Romero was again set to face Derek Brunson on January 15, 2014 at UFC Fight Night 35.[16] After trailing for two rounds, Romero won the fight in the third via TKO due to punches that dropped Brunson and subsequent elbows to the body. Both fighters earned a $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus award.[17]
In his fourth fight, Romero faced Brad Tavares at UFC on Fox 11.[18] He won the fight via unanimous decision.
Romero faced Tim Kennedy on September 27, 2014 at UFC 178.[19] He won the fight via TKO in the third round, giving Kennedy his first stoppage loss in thirteen years. Romero was saved by the bell when he got visibly stunned and nearly finished in the final seconds of the second round. There was controversy when Romero initially failed to answer the bell for the third round and received extra time to recover.[20] The win also earned Romero his second Fight of the Night bonus award.[21]
Romero was expected to face Ronaldo Souza on February 28, 2015 at UFC 184.[22] However, Souza pulled out of the fight on January 15, 2015 due to pneumonia. The bout will be left intact and moved to a later date.[23]
The bout with Souza was originally rescheduled for April 18, 2015 at UFC on Fox 15. However, Romero was forced out of the fight by a ligament and meniscus tear in his knee. He was replaced by Chris Camozzi.[24]
Romero faced Lyoto Machida on June 27, 2015 at UFC Fight Night 70.[25] He knocked out Machida at 1:38 of the third round with a series of elbows from top position.[26] Romero was awarded a "Performance of the Night" bonus.[27]
Mixed martial arts record
| 11 matches | 10 wins | 1 loss |
| By knockout | 9 | 1 |
| By submission | 0 | 0 |
| By decision | 1 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 10–1 | Lyoto Machida | KO (elbows) | UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Romero | June 27, 2015 | 3 | 1:38 | Hollywood, Florida, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 9–1 | Tim Kennedy | TKO (punches) | UFC 178 | September 27, 2014 | 3 | 0:38 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 8–1 | Brad Tavares | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Werdum vs. Browne | April 19, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Orlando, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 7–1 | Derek Brunson | TKO (punches and elbows) | UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Philippou | January 15, 2014 | 3 | 3:23 | Duluth, Georgia, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 6–1 | Ronny Markes | KO (punches) | UFC: Fight for the Troops 3 | November 6, 2013 | 3 | 1:39 | Fort Campbell, Kentucky, United States | |
| Win | 5–1 | Clifford Starks | KO (flying knee and punches) | UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Melendez | April 20, 2013 | 1 | 1:32 | San Jose, California, United States | Middleweight debut. Knockout of the Night. |
| Loss | 4–1 | Rafael Cavalcante | KO (punches and knee) | Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov | September 10, 2011 | 2 | 4:51 | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States | |
| Win | 4–0 | Laszlo Eck | KO (punch) | Fight of the Night 2011 | May 27, 2011 | 1 | 0:33 | Greding, Germany | |
| Win | 3–0 | Nikita Petrovs | TKO (retirement) | SFC 3: MMA Fight Night | March 5, 2011 | 1 | 2:58 | Giessen, Germany | |
| Win | 2–0 | Michał Fijałka | TKO (retirement) | IFF: The Eternal Struggle | October 8, 2010 | 3 | 4:05 | Dabrowa Gornicza, Poland | |
| Win | 1–0 | Sascha Weinpolter | TKO (punches) | Fight of the Night 2009 | December 20, 2009 | 1 | 0:48 | Nuremberg, Germany |
Personal life
Romero describes himself as "a man of God" whose hero is Jesus Christ.[28][29][30] His younger brother, Yoan Pablo Hernández, is a Cruiserweight Champion in professional boxing.[31]
In a controversial post-fight interview after his victory over Lyoto Machida at UFC Fight Night 70, Romero seemed to express disagreement with the Obergefell v. Hodges supreme court ruling. However, during the post fight press conference and subsequent interviews the following day, Romero denied referring to gay marriage and apologized for his comments while maintaining that they were misunderstood and taken out of context.[32]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Cuba
| ||
| Men's Freestyle Wrestling | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
 |
2000 Sydney | 85 kg |
| World Championships | ||
 |
1999 Ankara | 85 kg |
|
2002 Tehran | 84 kg |
|
2005 Budapest | 84 kg |
 |
1998 Tehran | 85 kg |
|
2001 Krasnoyarsk | 85 kg |
| Wrestling World Cup | ||
|
1998 Stillwater | -85 kg |
|
2000 Fairfax | -85 kg |
|
2005 Tashkent | -84 kg |
|
1999 Spokane | -85 kg |
|
2004 Baku | -84 kg |
|
1997 Stillwater | -85 kg |
| Pan American Games | ||
|
2003 Santo Domingo | 84 kg |
|
1999 Winnipeg | 85 kg |
| Pan American Championships | ||
|
1998 Winnipeg | -85 kg |
|
2001 Santo Domingo | -85 kg |
|
2002 Maracaibo | -84 kg |
|
2004 Guatemala City | -96 kg |
|
2007 San Salvador | -84 kg |
Championships and accomplishments
Mixed martial arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Knockout of the Night (One time)
- Performance of the Night (One time)
- Fight of the Night (Two times)
Freestyle Wrestling
1999 World Champion
2000 Olympic Games Silver Medalist
2x Cuban Olympic Team Member
6x World-Level Medalist
3X World Cup Champion
2003 Pan Am Games Champion
5x Pan Am Championship Champion
See also
References
- ^ "Light-heavyweight prospect Yoel Romero inks new Strikeforce deal". MMAjunkie.
- ^ "Fight Card - UFC Fight Night Machida vs. Romero". UFC.com. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
- ^ "Fight Card - UFC Fight Night Werdum vs. Browne". UFC.com. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
- ^ Mike Chiappetta (2011-07-27). "Former Olympian Yoel Romero signs with Strikeforce, will face Feijão in debut". MMAfighting.com. Retrieved 2013-11-06.
- ^ "UFC Fighter Rankings". ufc.com.
- ^ http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ro/yoel-romero-1.html Sports References
- ^ Coach Mike R (January 15, 2014). "UFC Fight Night 35 Factgrinder: The Wrestling Career of Yoel Romero". bloodyelbow.com.
- ^ "Die Wochen der Wahrheit – Doppelkampftag steht an" (in German). www.ringen.de. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
- ^ "Yoel Romero Palacio vs. Michał Fijałka". groundandpound.de. October 5, 2010. (in German)
- ^ "Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante vs. Yoel Romero slotted for September 10 Strikeforce event". mmajunkie.com. 2011-07-21.
- ^ "Yoel Romero vs Clifford Starks set for UFC on FOX 7". bloodyelbow.com. January 23, 2013.
- ^ Staff (2013-04-20). "UFC on FOX 7 bonuses: Brown, Mein, Romero, Thomson earn $50,000". MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved 2013-04-20.
- ^ Staff (2013-06-17). "UFC 164 Gains Derek Brunson vs. Yoel Romero". mmaweekly.com. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
- ^ Staff (2013-08-14). "UFC 164 loses Yoel Romero vs. Brian Houston, card finalized with 12 bouts". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
- ^ Jamie Penick (2013-08-23). "UFC Fight for the Troops card adds Yoel Romero vs. Ronny Markes". mmatorch.com. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
- ^ Staff (2013-11-26). "UFC Fight Night 35 adds Yoel Romero vs. Derek Brunson". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
- ^ ""UFC Fight Night 35 Bonuses: Rockhold, Miller, Romero, Brunson Earn $50K Awards", by Mike Whitman, Sherdog.com". Sherdog.
- ^ UFC News (2014-02-04). "#UFCFightNight in Orlando bout update! @bambamhealy vs @GamebredFighter and @BradTavares vs @YoelRomeroMMA. Tix on sale next Friday". UFC. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
- ^ Zane Simon (2014-07-08). "Tim Kennedy vs. Yoel Romero slated for UFC 178 in Las Vegas". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2014-07-08.
- ^ Marc Raimondi and Damon Martin (2014-09-28). "Stoolgate: Tim Kennedy irate about controversial loss to Yoel Romero". foxsports.com. Retrieved 2014-09-28.
- ^ Matt Erickson (2014-09-28). "UFC 178 bonuses: McGregor, Cruz, Romero, Kennedy earn $50,000". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2014-09-28.
- ^ Brian Martin (2014-11-13). "UFC 184: Jacare Souza vs. Yoel Romero added to Staples Center card". dailynews.com. Retrieved 2014-11-13.
- ^ Thomas Gerbasi (2015-01-15). "Souza-Romero scratched from UFC 184". UFC.com.
- ^ Matt Erickson (February 11, 2015). "Yoel Romero vs. 'Jacare' Souza re-booked for UFC on FOX 15 co-main event". MMAjunkie.com.
- ^ Guilherme Cruz (2015-05-15). "Lyoto Machida vs. Yoel Romero set as new main event for TUF Brazil: 4 Finale in Miami". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2015-05-15.
- ^ "UFC Fight Night Results: 'Machida vs. Romero' Play-by-Play & Updates". Sherdog.com. 27 June 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
- ^ "UFC Fight Night 70 bonuses: Yoel Romero's elbows bring him $50,000". MMAJunkie.com. 27 June 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
- ^ "Yoel Romero Interview". Fight Geeks.
- ^ "UFC Fight Night 35's Yoel Romero: By the Grace of God". The MMA Corner.
- ^ "New UFC Fighter a Knockout".
- ^ Trey Downey. "UFC's Yoel Romero: Ready For Next Step at Middleweight". The MMA Corner.
- ^ Brett Okamoto (2015-06-28). "Yoel Romero apologizes but denies making anti-gay remark after KO win". espn.go.com. Retrieved 2015-06-28.