“I Would Have Won for Sure”- Yoel Romero on Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson’s Recent Bellator Appearance

Published 09/18/2021, 11:44 AM EDT

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Yoel Romero is getting ready to make his long-awaited Bellator debut at Bellator 266 against Phil Davis this weekend. And while this is a great debut bout for the Cuban national, Romero could have made his debut against UFC veteran Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson back in May. 

A fight that would have been one for the ages, Yoel Romero vs Anthony Johnson fell through after ‘The Soldier of God’ failed to pass his medical examination before the fight because of an issue with his eyes.  

As a result, Romero withdrew his name from the Bellator Light heavyweight Grand Prix tournament.

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On the other hand, Anthony Johnson went ahead and fought Jose Augusto. Despite the four-year layoff, Johnson scored an impressive second-round knockout. 

Interestingly, in a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Yoel Romero explained how he dealt with not being able to compete earlier this year. Further, ‘The Soldier of God’ also gave his take on Johnson’s latest octagon appearance, making the following statement.

“You know, I feel bad I can’t go for this fight. You have to be expecting that this can happen. You’ve got to learn to deal with it, be patient, it can happen often. Calm down, cool down, think about your time, thank God, recover what you have and keep going. And just keep driving on and looking forward. Said Romero, “This is an amazing guy, amazing fight. But I didn’t think this was his best night. He’s a great fighter, but that wasn’t his night. If we would have fought that night, I would have won for sure.” 

 

Clearly, ‘The Soldier of God’ doesn’t seem too impressed with Johnson’s performance. It seems like the two will eventually get a chance to duke it out inside the octagon.

Until then, Yoel Romero has bigger problems to deal with this weekend as he goes up against ‘Mr Wonderful’ Phil Davis.

Yoel Romero vs Phil Davis

Coming off a three-fight losing streak in the UFC, Yoel Romero is about to make a return to Light heavyweight in his Bellator debut this Saturday. Romero, who is known for taking on the toughest fights, will do the same once more as he takes on Phil Davis. A former Bellator champion and a UFC veteran, Davis is an elite MMA fighter with impressive wrestling credentials.

Known for his victories against great UFC fighters such as Alexander Gustafsson, Glover Teixeira, and Lyoto Machida, Phil Davis is one of the top light heavyweights in the world.

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If ‘The Soldier of God’ can outpace the bigger Davis and get on the inside, he could find success early on. However, what we will have to see is how the change in weight will affect Romero’s performance.

A win against Phil Davis could fast-track Romero to a title shot, bringing him close to his dream of becoming an undisputed champion.

What do you think? Who wins this one? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by:

David Andrew

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David Andrew is an MMA author at EssentiallySports with a background in English Literature from St. Stephens College. Prior to his current role, David, who combines his passion for writing and combat sports, contributed to the MMA divisions at Sportskeeda and The Sportsrush.
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