Wrestling powerhouse Yoel Romero has proven he is as tough has they come. But, is he tougher than Luke Rockhold?
Unlikely.
That’s according to the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion, who says when the two collide in the main event of UFC 221 in Perth, Australia, on Feb. 10, 2018, he plans to take “Solider of God” to depths he’s never even imagined.
He broke it all down to MMA Junkie:
“I know Yoel believes in himself. I know he is almost overconfident at times. I think he doesn’t really understand where the dangers are I pose to him. I know what he is and what he’s capable of, but I’m going to give this guy more than he can handle. I’m going to shut him down. I’m willing to go deeper than he’ll ever go. Some people act the part. Some people talk the part. But to be the part, to go there and to get into those moments, I’ve never been outdone. I’m willing to go deeper and darker than any of these motherf*ckers. Yoel can look it, and he can act it, but I’ll bring it out of him, and I’ll push this thing to a different world that he’s not ready for.”
The two hulking Middleweights will vie for the interim division strap and secure a future title unification bout against 185-pound kingpin Robert Whittaker later this year.
Romero has already tasted defeate to “Bobby Knuckles,” as the Aussie took it to him at UFC 213 last year to win the interim strap. The strap eventually became the official title he was set to defend against Luke before this happened, after Georges St-Pierre vacated his belt shortly after defeating then-champion Michael Bisping.
Yes, the division has been a hot mess and this guy wants to complicate it a bit more.
For Rockhold, a win over Romero will be the first step in becoming the true division kingpin, a journey he’s been on since losing his title to Michael Bisping way back at UFC 199. And he’s as confident as ever, which can’t be good news for “Soldier of God.”
To see who else is fighting at UFC 221: “Rockhold vs Romero” click here.