Yoel Romero will be getting back in the Bellator cage in Paris.
After his promotional debut with Bellator didn’t go his way, Yoel Romero is scheduled to take another shot at a win. Romero will be taking on Melvin Manhoef at the upcoming Bellator Paris event set to take place on May 6. The news was first announced by the promotion in a press release. This matchup will serve as the co-main event.
The news of Bellator holding an event in France was met with applause by fighters and fans. Mixed martial arts as a sport was not legal in France until 2020. With the difficulty of holding an event during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of professional events held in the country has been minimal. Bellator held an event in Paris back in October of 2020 and it was a great success, so much so that they are doing it again.
Adding Romero to this card will bring the star power that fans want to see. His signing with the organization after leaving the UFC was met with high praise. Unfortunately, Romero didn’t start off the way he had planned. He lost his first Bellator fight back in September to Phil Davis. He will have the chance to right the ship against Manhoef.
Manhoef will be coming into this fight having lost his last outing as well. He lost via KO against Corey Anderson in Nov. of 2020. Prior to that, however, he won two in a row, both in Europe. Perhaps fighting in Europe could be his lucky charm, as he will have the chance to see against the hype of Romero.
Bellator Paris will take place at the Accor Arena in Paris, France on May. 6.
The full fight card to date is as follows:
Heavyweight World Title Main Event: #C-Ryan Bader (29-7, 1 NC) vs. #2-Cheick Kongo (31-11-2, 1 NC)
Light Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Yoel Romero (13-6) vs. #10-Melvin Manhoef (32-15-1, 2 NC)
Lightweight Bout: Søren Bak (15-1) vs. Saul Rogers (15-4)
Lightweight Bout: Yves Landu (16-9) vs. Gavin Hughes (10-2)
Who do you have winning this light heavyweight matchup?
