Tag: Yoel Romero

Anthony Johnson knows knockout power and game recognizes game.

‘Rumble’ has admitted that when he fights Yoel Romero, it will be against the most dangerous fighter he’s ever faced.

Johnson is preparing for his return to the sport, coming back from his 2017 retirement.

In his first fight in over three years, Johnson finds himself competing in the Bellator lightweight Grand Prix and has drawn Romero as his first-round opponent.

In a recent interview, Johnson shared his thoughts on Romero and his move to Bellator. (H/T MMAFighting.com)

“Besides some of my training partners, yeah, I give Yoel that title,” Johnson shared during the Bellator 257 media day. “That I can think of right now, Yoel is the most dangerous fighter I’ve actually faced, I think.”

When asked about other top names in the tournament, Johnson made it clear where his focus lies.

“I haven’t thought that far ahead,” Johnson said. “I’m focused on Yoel. If I look past him one time, I’m done. I can’t look past him. I haven’t thought about Corey [Anderson], I haven’t thought about [Ryan] Bader, I haven’t thought about [Vadim] Nemkov. I’ve thought about Yoel.”

“That’s the only human being that’s been on my mind for feels like forever. Mad props to those guys making it to the semis but they’re not my focus. My focus is Yoel. I’ve got to get past that monster before I can face the other monsters.”

Johnson continued to reflect on the title fight that he never saw to fruition against former light heavyweight UFC champ Jon Jones. He also reflected on what it means to be fighting in a new promotion.

“It’s still high. The competition is still high,” Johnson said. “Of course, it was a bummer I didn’t get to fight Jon, but the past is the past. I haven’t thought about it anymore. The only people that bring it up are the fans and the media. I don’t really think about it cause it’s been so long ago. It will go down in history as one of those fights that never happened. I always told myself I didn’t want to be one of those stories, but unfortunately, I am one of those stories.”

“But you know what, I feel I’m fighting Jon Jones regardless. I’ve got to fight Yoel and everybody else in the weight class is right up there, too. I got my hands full. Jon Jones is not even on my radar, hasn’t been for years. Now it’s all about Bellator.”

How do you think Anthony Johnson will fare against Yoel Romero in the Bellator Grand Prix?

Fans will be tuning in for Yoel Romero regardless of the promotion he competes for.

That certainly seems to be the case with Bellator as the combat sports world erupted in excitement with the news that Romero would be taking on fellow signing and knockout artist Anthony Johnson in the quarterfinals of the newly-announced light heavyweight tournament.

That bout is set to take place at Bellator 257 which takes place April 16.

It’s a fight that many observers have speculated as well as called for ever since both fighters were signed to the promotion recently and it looks like Bellator is striking while the iron is hot.

And for Romero, the fan reaction only shows that people will be tuning in for the fighter, not the promotion.

“The reaction of the fans is always going to be the same, it doesn’t depend on what company the fighter is in or where the fighter is fighting at, but more on what the athlete has done,” Romero said during Bellator’s press conference. “The fans will follow you not because of the company or league that you’re competing in, but what the athlete has done. I think the reaction from the fans it’s a reflection of the work that Anthony and I have had outside of Bellator and even outside of the UFC.

“I’ve humbly been competing since 1997, I fought in Strikeforce, then UFC, and now I’m in another big company which is Bellator. I think that’s the reaction of a fan base that’s been following you for many years. It’s obvious that the fan base is aware of the legacy that Anthony Johnson has, as well as myself.”

Both Romero and Johnson’s body of work is certainly well-documented. Their exciting fights have also made them fan favorites, so it won’t be a surprise to see many tuning in to Bellator for the first time either.

Let’s just hope it turns into the fight we’re expecting and not like Romero’s last outing.

What do you think of the fan reaction to Romero vs. Johnson?