UFC: Yoel Romero says release unexpected – ‘they wanted me to fight Hall, Brunson … we were chasing title’
- Former title challenger opens up on being cut from UFC roster and says ‘it didn’t make sense for me to fight these young men’
- New Bellator signing also claims he was released after turning down fight with Johnny Walker at light heavyweight
Yoel Romero has broken his silence on being cut from the UFC, and claimed it was “unexpected” because he was still chasing the middleweight title.
UFC president Dana White said this month at a media conference that the Cuban “Soldier of God” (13-5) was released because he had lost four of his last five fights and is 44 years old.
The former challenger – who lost his last title tilt by unanimous decision to Israel Adesanya at UFC 248 in March – still had three fights left on his contract, but signed with US-based promotion Bellator this week.
“[The UFC] wanted [me] to fight with Uriah Hall, Derek Brunson, and we explained to them that it didn’t make sense for [me] to fight with these young men. We had an idea we were chasing, the world title,” Romero said in an interview with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani via a translator.
“My managers were back and forth non-stop with the matchmakers and with [UFC president Dana White],” Romero added.
