UFC 221: Pros React to Yoel Romero’s Thunderous Knockout of Luke Rockhold

Yoel Romero UFC
Yoel Romero Credit: Mike Sloan/Sherdog.com

Though he missed weight and was ineligible to win interim middleweight gold at UFC 221, Yoel Romero made no mistake in the main event

UFC 221 took place Saturday (Sunday locally) in Perth, Australia. In the main event, Yoel Romero made so mistake, knocking out Luke Rockhold with a crushing left hand in the third round. It was a moment foreshadowed earlier in the fight, when Romero had his opponent cornered, and nearly got the finish then. Rockhold, however, escaped a mostly uneventful first round, a scarier second, and made it to the third, but was derailed when Romero put the lights out.

The win creates a bit of a mess in the 185lb weight class. Romero lost to middleweight champion Robert Whittaker just one fight ago. Rockhold was his first fight back, while Whittaker has not been in the octagon since their last meeting. That means the bout is far from anticipated — but with a number of top stars retiring, and Romero having dispatched Rockhold convincingly, it will likely happen nonetheless.

The big win by Romero was not lost on the pros, who immediately let their reactions loose on social media Saturday night.

While it’s not the result Rockhold was looking for, perhaps this will prompt the move to light heavyweight he has been talking about lately.