Tag: Yoel Romero

Anthony Johnson is disappointed that his Lightweight Grand Prix first-round fight at Bellator 258.

‘Rumble’ took to Instagram to send well wishes to Yoel Romero.  

Today, news broke that Yoel Romero cannot participate in the Bellator Lightweight Grand Prix after failing a pre-fight physical.

The promotion did not disclose what ailment or injury led to the failed exam.

Bellator did confirm that they will select an alternative Grand Prix opponent for Johson as soon as possible. 

The original bout would have been the Bellator debut for both fighters.

Hours later, Johnson sent Romero a message on Instagram.

“@YoelRomeroMMA [Broken heart emoji] with the news but whatever the issue is I hope Yoel gets back on his feet and able to compete again very soon. Sorry to the fans for the disappointment.”

With both fighters known for their knockout power, this fight was one of the most anticipated matchups of Bellator 258 and the lightweight tournament alike. With Romero’s status in limbo, Johnson will have to wait to see who Bellator selects as his first-round opponent and when the fight will take place.  Rumors are already circulating that Julius Anglickas will likely fill the spot.

Like Johnson, we hope that Romero recovers from whatever ailment or injury caused him to fail the physical. For its part, Bellator made clear that Romero can reapply for clearance to fight in the upcoming months, so hopefully, he will make his debut at some point in 2021.

Who do you think Anthony Johnson should face as his first-round opponent for the Bellator Lightweight Grand Prix?

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?