Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC
Yoel Romero calls out UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya.
The ball is in Israel Adesanya’s court, according to feared middleweight Yoel Romero.
In a recent Instagram post, ‘Soldier of God’ told Adesanya to pick up the phone and call UFC president Dana White if he’s really serious about defending his middleweight title anytime soon.
“Hey Adesanya, why you calling me out and now you run away?” Romero said on video. “I am muscled, I am something like this? No man, fight. Take it today. Call Dana White and say, ‘Give me the f*cking date.’ That’s it.”
Talks of a title showdown between Adesanya and Romero have been underway ever since it was reported that top middleweight contender Paulo Costa had suffered an injury and would be out of action until April. Costa, who is on a 13-fight win streak, was expected to challenge ‘The Last Stylebender’ for the middleweight title in the new year. The Brazilian powerhouse beat Romero in a Fight of the Night classic at UFC 241, but Romero is still considered one of the best middleweights in the world and is the best available option for Adesanya’s first title defense.
UFC president Dana White, however, says Romero must win a fight before challenging Adesanya for the title. The 42-year-old is on a two-fight losing skid and hasn’t won a fight since 2018, when he KO’d Luke Rockhold in the UFC 221 main event at Perth Arena in Australia.