Yoel Romero can make a bit of history if he wins the middleweight title this weekend.
Romero challenges Israel Adesanya for the 185-pound strap in the UFC 248 headliner this Saturday in Las Vegas. It might be the Cuban’s last shot at UFC gold — at least in the middleweight division — but if he comes out victorious, he will be the oldest first-time champion in the promotion at 42 years of age.
Of course, Romero is not built like your average 42-year-old. Regardless, “The Soldier of God” wants to prove a point to the world that anything can be achieved — no matter how old you are:
“Basically I want to prove there are no limits,” Romero told media at the UFC 248 open workouts on Wednesday (via MMA Junkie). “Age is pretty much just a number for me. I think you can do anything if you believe in yourself. That if you live in a disciplined lifestyle, if you live in a not so emotional life, if you live under a conviction, anything if possible.”
Romero has already spoken of competing for another decade and given the way he’s going, it certainly looks a possibility. However, he acknowledges that there will come a time where he won’t be able to compete any longer:
“Yeah (I want to fight 10 more years),” Romero said. “Sport is life. I love my life. I love life and I love the sport, so I want to continue having life so I need to keep doing sports.
“… It will get me upset if I cannot do the sport anymore to train. One day you can’t keep competing anymore, but you need to keep going for the sport. That’s different.”
Do you think Romero can win the title this weekend?