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“Looked Like a Punching Bag”: 46-Year-Old Yoel Romero’s Loss Against Fedor Emelianenko’s Protege at Bellator 297 Has Fans Demanding Ex-UFC Star’s Retirement

Published 06/17/2023, 4:34 AM EDT

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Fedor Emelianenko‘s protege, Vadim Nemkov, remains undefeated in Bellator. He successfully defended his title against MMA veteran Yoel Romero at Bellator 297. Furthermore, the Russian dominated the fight with each statistic higher than the former UFC fighter. Several fans reacted to the fight on social media.

Bellator 297 could possibly be the last time Yoel Romero challenges for the title, but he shows no signs of stopping. Romero recently made waves on social media due to the revelation of his fear of heights. However, on the fighting front, he suffered yet another title fight defeat.

Vadim Nemkov dominates Yoel Romero

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Fedor Emelianenko seems to have bestowed his dominant fighting style on Nemkov as he outclassed former UFC fighter, Yoel Romero. The 30-year-old landed ninety-six more strikes than the ‘Soldier of God’. Additionally, Nemkov landed significantly more punches than Romero. The only statistic that the 46-year-old Romero had is that he scored the only takedown of the fight.

The former UFC fighter, now, has a Bellator record of two wins and two losses since joining the promotion in 2020. Meanwhile, Vadim Nemkov extended his undefeated run in the promotion to nine wins. The champion started landing his shots from the get-go. Nemkov continued his domination throughout the fight. However, there was a late scare as both fighters got into a rally during the final phases of the fight, but the 30-year-old Russian survived.

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Fans share their reactions to Romero’s loss on social media

The fans had mixed reactions to the outcome of the fight and Yoel Romero’s performance. They mentioned how he always came up short during title fights, and his age was showing how much his performance has dropped off. Moreover, some fans even claimed that he looked like a punching bag for the champion.

 

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  • Yoel def still got it, it’s the condition he has because of his age the problem
  • Wtf happens to Yoel when he fights for the title, Mf freezes
  • Yoel looked like a punching bag in there
  • Yoel is a fraud … he needs to retire
  • Yoel shouldve retired 2-4yrs ago the mans almost 50
  • 46 yr old Romero taking his best shots like they were nothing
  • Romero showed his Age in this one. If he was 5 years younger he would’ve slept that dude in 2 rounds

Most fans want Yoel Romero to consider retirement, and they argue that he should have done it a long time ago. However, some of them praised the 46-year-old for taking the shots from Nemkov like it didn’t even matter.

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It is highly probable that Yoel Romero may not challenge for the title again in the promotion. However, he had two wins under his belt before losing the title fight. He hasn’t announced his retirement yet. It looks like fans will have to wait and see what move he makes next.

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Written by:

Himanga Mahanta

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Himanga Mahanta is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. He has a passion for combat sports and a deep understanding of the intricacies of MMA. With his expertise and extensive knowledge, Himanga provides in-depth coverage of UFC events and fighters, bringing his readers closer to the action and the athletes they admire.
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Edited by:

Rohini Kottu