UFC 184 was already a must-watch, but it just got even stronger with the announcement that surging contenders Yoel Romero and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza will face off on the card. The news was first announced by the Los Angeles Daily News.
The two Strikeforce alums have been major players in the UFC’s middleweight division since the promotion’s 2013 death. Romero, an Olympic silver medalist from the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia, has gone 5-0 in the UFC since dropping to 185-pounds (his lone Strikeforce fight was at light heavyweight opposite Rafael Cavalcante).
Souza, meanwhile, has racked up an impressive seven-fight winning streak between the UFC and Strikeforce, knocking out top-10 mainstay Yushin Okami and submitting old rival Gegard Mousasi during that stretch.
It is worth noting that the main event on this card is a middleweight title fight between Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort. Given the timing, it’s not a huge leap to assume that Romero and Souza are there to provide an insurance policy should the main event fall through (the bout between Weidman and Belfort has twice been pushed back), to decide the next contender for the middleweight division or both.
Regardless, the fight is a welcome addition to an already tantalizing card. In addition to the Weidman vs. Belfort main event, a women’s bantamweight title fight between Ronda Rousey and Cat Zingano is slated for the co-main event.
Not only that, but the UFC also recently announced a heavyweight fight between former champion Frank Mir and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. UFC 184 is slated for February 28, 2014 and will go down at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
Many fights are yet to be announced, so make sure to stick with Bleacher Report for more news as it becomes available.
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