Yoel Romero surprised by UFC release: 'Completely unexpected'

“First and foremost, it was one thing that was absolutely unanticipated. I was previously instruction extremely tough, obtaining prepared. We had been currently contemplating of preventing in January or February at 185 or 205. We ended up looking to struggle with the prime a few in both division. My administrators defined this to the presidency, the top of the UFC.”

Previous UFC middleweight title challenger Yoel Romero created headlines across the sport recently, when UFC officials surprisingly released him from his deal.

Romero was rated No. 5 in the UFC middleweight rankings at the time of his launch, but his age and current document had been factors supplied by UFC president Dana White for reducing him loose. White also indicated that Romero was just one particular of about 60 fighters that would be produced by the stop of 2020.

“Yoel has lost 4 of his very last five. He’s 44 years aged,” White mentioned.

“It’s not just Yoel. We’re going to go by means of some significant cuts listed here at the finish of the year. We’re likely heading to have 60 cuts ahead of the initial of the calendar year,” White added.

“Our roster is very inflated ideal now. We’re likely to have some major cuts coming before the finish of the yr. You are likely to see a large amount of names going here in the future numerous weeks.”

Nonetheless, Romero’s lower came as a shock not just to followers and pundits, but to Romero himself, who had been gearing up to proceed his operate at a UFC championship.

“(The UFC) preferred (me) to combat with Uriah Hall, Derek Brunson, and we discussed to them that it did not make perception for (me) to struggle with these youthful adult males. We had an concept we were being chasing, the globe title,” Romero explained in a the latest job interview with ESPN through a translator.

“My administrators were being again and forth non-cease with the matchmakers and with (UFC president Dana White),” Romero stated. “They arrived back again to us with an give to fight Johnny Walker at 205. At 205, we needed whomever triumphed among (Thiago Santos) or Glover (Teixeira).”

Romero misplaced 4 of his final 5 fights at middleweight. Three of the 5 bouts ended up intended for the middleweight title or the interim belt. He missed weight for two of the 3 title fights.

But even even though he was geared up to go up to 205 kilos, UFC officers and Romero’s workforce could not seem to be to appear to phrases on an opponent. That’s when the UFC made the decision to reduce him free, according to Romero.

“The professionals ended up originally indicating we wished to struggle with Dominick Reyes, Glover Teixeira, ‘Marreta’ (Thiago Santos), or Anthony Smith, and it was variety of like a back and forth, sort of quiet on their conclude. After they arrived at back again it was to (convey to me) that we could not appear to an agreement and they had been heading to commit to the launch,” Romero discussed.

“I would have in no way expected this.”

Romero has considering that inked a multi-battle deal with Bellator MMA, exactly where he is anticipated to debut in the promotion’s mild heavyweight division someday in early 2021.