Tag: Yoel Romero

Yoel Romero: Excitement Over Anthony Johnson Fight Shows Fans Follow Fighters, Not Promotions

Romero JohnsonFans 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 […]

Romero Johnson

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?

Yoel Romero vs. Anthony Johnson Set for Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix

Bellator announced that will hold an eight-man Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix, with a quarterfinal matchup between Yoel Romero and Anthony Johnson serving as the highlight (h/t Alexander K…

Bellator announced that will hold an eight-man Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix, with a quarterfinal matchup between Yoel Romero and Anthony Johnson serving as the highlight (h/t Alexander K…

Bellator Announce Eight-Man Light Heavyweight Tournament

BellatorBellator has announced a light-heavyweight Gran-Prix is set to take place. An anonymous source with knowledge of the announcement reported the news to MMA DNA earlier today. Bellator have since confirmed the story during a press conference. To no one’s surprise, newly signed knockout artists and former UFC title challengers Yoel Romero and Anthony ‘Rumble’ […]

Bellator

Bellator has announced a light-heavyweight Gran-Prix is set to take place.

An anonymous source with knowledge of the announcement reported the news to MMA DNA earlier today.

Bellator have since confirmed the story during a press conference.

To no one’s surprise, newly signed knockout artists and former UFC title challengers Yoel Romero and Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson will be joining the action at 205 in their Bellator debuts. Although to a certain shock, Scott Coker has matched up these powerhouses to fight each other on April 16th!

Ryan Bader, the former kingpin of the division will also look to stake his claim back on the title. Bader was defeated by Fedor Emeilianko’s protege, Vadim Nemkov in a series of attacks in round two. While Bader may not get his revenge on Nemkov immediately, he will have a chance to redeem himself against another familiar opponent in Lyoto Machida. “The Dragon” knocked out Bader in their first outing in 2012. The two will meet once again on April 9th.

Nemkov now wears the crown at 205. He will take on former foe Phil Davis in a rematch. The two fought to a split decision back in 2018 with Nemkov getting the nod from the judges. This time the title will be on the line, come April 16th.

Another name that will be thrown into the mix is Corey Anderson. “Overtime” made quick work of Melvin Manhoef in his debut under the Bellator banner last November. He has since called out for a title shot against Nemkov. However, the new signings of “Rumble” and Romero have left the title picture complicated. Anderson will fight highly-touted debutant Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov.

Bellator Announces LHW Grand Prix, Including Johnson vs. Romero

Bellator MMA has announced that it will be holding a light heavyweight tournament that will include an apocalyptic showdown between Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Yoel “The Soldier of God” Romero. Earlier today, Bellator held a major press conference whe…

Bellator MMA has announced that it will be holding a light heavyweight tournament that will include an apocalyptic showdown between Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Yoel “The Soldier of God” Romero. Earlier today, Bellator held a major press conference where several announcements were made. Among them, it was revealed that there will be the much-requested light […]

Scott Coker Surprised UFC Released So Many Top Names: ‘Good For Us’

CokerMany observers were surprised with the big names the UFC recently released. Bellator president Scott Coker was among them. In recent months, the likes of Corey Anderson, Yoel Romero and Anthony Johnson have all departed the UFC and have been picked up by Bellator who further strengthened their light heavyweight division in the process. While […]

Coker

Many observers were surprised with the big names the UFC recently released. Bellator president Scott Coker was among them.

In recent months, the likes of Corey Anderson, Yoel Romero and Anthony Johnson have all departed the UFC and have been picked up by Bellator who further strengthened their light heavyweight division in the process.

While Bellator has developed a reputation of signing former UFC fighters who are either past their prime or not at a high level anymore, this is certainly a different case with Coker believing the promotion’s recent pickups are fighters who made a difference in the UFC.

“You’re talking about a couple of guys that really made a difference in their division,” Coker told MMA Fighting. “I’m surprised they didn’t want to keep them. To me, it’s a great opportunity for us.

“To be honest, I think we’re a better fit for those guys. They’ll have a great home here. I think they’re going to be extremely happy here. A couple of the guys that I talked to, they wanted to make the move. They wanted to come to Bellator. People see when they get here how we treat the fighters and how it’s a family atmosphere. Yes, it is a business so we run like a business but it’s really run a lot different than other organizations.”

Fighters such as Anderson and Johnson were also particularly excited about the prospect of joining Bellator after certain circumstances led to their departure according to Coker.

“At the end of the day, I think the fighters wanted to be here,” Coker said. “They made the move to be here. I think each one of those guys had different circumstances with their past employer and I don’t think that they wanted to take this fight or that fight and some ultimatums were thrown around is what I heard. It just didn’t work out.

“Too bad for them, good for us and now look at that light heavyweight division we have.”

Coker has long claimed Bellator had the best light heavyweight division in mixed martial arts and after these recent pickups, it’s hard to argue with that.

And he only expects the weight class to grow further in 2021.

“There’s no doubt in my mind [we have the best light heavyweight division],” Coker said. “First of all, I think [Vadim] Nemkov is the best fighter on the planet at 205 until he gets beat. I think that’s going to be my position. Because I’ve never seen Ryan Bader get dismantled like the way he did against Nemkov.

“You’re talking about a guy that can wrestle, can strike, got a complete game. Top pound-for-pound rated in the world. Top rated in the 205-pound weight class and he won a heavyweight tournament. He’s a serious athlete, this guy is a killer. Nemkov just kind of did his thing with him.

“… The sport of MMA really was built, I believe, on the light heavyweight division. Back in the day when you had [Quinton] ‘Rampage’ Jackson and Tito [Ortiz] and Chuck [Liddell] and [Randy] Couture and to me this is the second wave of 205-pound killers that all assembled under one roof. They can all fight each other and have some great fights in 2021 for Bellator.”

Do you think Bellator has the best light heavyweight division?

Scott Coker Explains Why Bellator Originally Passed On Signing Yoel Romero

After Yoel Romero was released by the UFC, Scott Coker revealed Bellator was not interested, yet those changes planned. After a week or so, it was then reported that Romero has indeed signed with the Viacom-owned promotion. According to Coker, he says …

After Yoel Romero was released by the UFC, Scott Coker revealed Bellator was not interested, yet those changes planned. After a week or so, it was then reported that Romero has indeed signed with the Viacom-owned promotion. According to Coker, he says after signing Rumble Johnson, he heard from fans that they wanted to see […]