YOEL ROMERO VS. RONALDO “JACARE” SOUZA 2 HEADLINES UFC ON ESPN 3
The UFC has booked a possible middleweight title eliminator for an approaching spring card down south, and I will offer my thoughts on this thrilling new fight in today’s MMA odds and ends.
Yoel Romero vs. Ronaldo”Jacare” Souza two, UFC on ESPN 3
All of us thought the main event of UFC on ESPN 3 was going to be a five-round middleweight fight between Yoel Romero and Paulo Costa. But, there’s been a change of plans. According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Costa has been scratched in the card and now Romero will rematch rival Ronaldo”Jacare” Souza in a rematch. UFC on ESPN 3 takes place April 27 in BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida, and Romero vs. Souza 2 is defined as the newest five-round main event.
It was possibly slightly surprising to see that the UFC book this rematch at the time period, with Romero coming from a split decision loss to Robert Whittaker in his last fight and Souza a KO win over Chris Weidman, but looking at the state of the middleweight division more closely the struggle makes sense. With Kelvin Gastelum fighting Israel Adesanya in UFC 236 for the interim middleweight title, along with the champ Whittaker sitting on the sidelines with injuries, the division continues to move along and wait for no one. Both fighters had a matchup to stay busy in one of the game’s most active divisions, and no additional top-ranked contenders accessible to fight in April, this rematch between Romero and Souza was the best way to go to the UFC.
The very first time Romero and Souza fought was back in UFC 194 at December 2015 (the exact same night Conor McGregor knocked out Jose Aldo), together with Romero edging out a narrow split decision. Since then, Romero has gone 2-2 in the Octagon to Whittaker. Souza, meanwhile, has gone 4-2 since then with endings over Weidman, Derek Brunson, Vitor Belfort and Tim Boetsch and losses to Whittaker and Gastelum. Despite both Romero and Souza being 41 and 39, respectively, they stay at the top of the middleweight division, and the winner of the bout ought to be close to a title shot.
Romero (13-3) is 9-2 overall in the UFC and has emerged as one of the most devastating knockout artists in the game now, and of course among the most accomplished wrestlers. Souza (26-6, 1 NC) is 8-3 at the UFC and is one of the most well-rounded fighters at the division, and of course one of the best MMA fighters ever to haven’t fought for a UFC title.
As for the chances for this rematch, I am expecting something near a Pick ’em with a little lean towards Romero because he was training with this particular card and since he won the first battle. Nevertheless, the very first fight was only three rounds, and these extra two rounds could turn out to be the difference in the rematch now around. Irrespective of who receives their hand raised, it is going to be a fantastic fight, though.
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