Yoel Romero might have lost last night (June 9), but he still views himself as the champion.
Romero took on Robert Whittaker in the main event of UFC 225. This was a non-title bout as “The Soldier of God” missed weight. The bout still served as the main event and took place inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
After five rounds of action, Whittaker earned a split decision victory. Romero had some significant moments, including a dominant fifth round when he knocked Whittaker down. Many believe the round should’ve been scored 10-8 in Romero’s favor. Under the new judging guidelines, many believe the judges didn’t do their due diligence.
No matter the result, Romero still views himself as the champion. During an Instagram live video, Romero said the following from a hospital bed:
“Tonight, I don’t feel that I lost. I am the champ. It’s like the movie, like Rocky Marciano. Today, I am black Rocky, the people’s champ.”
See the full clip below (via MMAJunkie.com):
Now that Romero has missed weight for back-to-back fights, there has been speculation that he’ll move up to the light heavyweight division. UFC president Dana White said that if Romero defeated Whittaker, he’d look into booking “The Soldier of God” against Alexander Gustafsson. With how close the fight went, those plans may still be in the cards.
How did you score Robert Whittaker vs. Yoel Romero II?
