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Yoel Romero fought Israel Adesanya in what was probably his last shot at the UFC middleweight title. On one hand, we had Israel Adesanya who is arguably the most elite striker in UFC right now, and on the other, we had Yoel Romero who is notorious for his vicious knockout power, explosiveness, and durability. What was expected to be a barn burner considering the skillsets of both fighters ended up being a massive letdown.
However, after the lackluster performance against Israel Adesanya, Yoel Romero faced a lot of criticism from both the fans and UFC president, Dana White. After that bizarre fight, Dana White even said that Yoel Romero had his last opportunity at the middleweight title
Yoel Romero has fought for the middleweight title multiple times. However, due to the botched weight cut, he missed out on a golden opportunity to be the interim champion. He also lost to Robert Whittaker twice in a pair of close fights. It does seem that Yoel Romero had his share of opportunities for the middleweight title. However, is it right to close the door on the former olympian yet?
What does Yoel Romero need to do to earn another title shot?
Every time Yoel Romero steps into the octagon fans can't help but watch him fight and rightfully so. Romero is one of the most entertaining fighters in the middleweight division despite the performance against Adesanya. He has got the explosiveness and power to knock anyone out in the division. His 11 knockout victories in his MMA career would solidify the aforementioned statement.
Romero has been in some of the most entertaining fights in UFC middleweight history. His fights against Robert Whittaker, Paulo Costa, and Tim Kennedy are spectacles, to say the least. So there is no doubt that Romero can turn things around in his next fights with vicious finishes.
But will that be enough to earn him another title shot? in the sport of MMA, a fighter is only as good as his last performance. As we saw Jorge Masvidal become a sensation after knockouts against Ben Askren and Darren Till. And if there is anyone in the roaster who can put up impressive finishes it has to be Yoel Romero.
The former number one contender takes on Uriah Hall next. Hall is coming off a couple of impressive wins. He is one of the dynamic strikers in the division. And a win over him can be the beginning of the journey to the top for Yoel Romero.
Yoel Romero is still inside the top 5 rankings. And if he gets the job done against Hall, then he will be looking to get a fight against the loser of Israel Adesanya vs Paulo Costa. If Costa wins the title by beating Adesanya then there is a solid possibility that Romero will get the title shot a lot sooner.
Though Paulo Costa won the first encounter against Yoel Romero it was a very close fight. A lot will depend on how Romero performs in his next couple of fights. The middleweight division is stacked with big names and to earn a title shot Romero will have to put up some sensational performances.
