While a date has not been finalized, multiple reports have surfaced revealing Yoel Romero’s next fight. The former UFC middleweight challenger, who was much maligned following his performance against Israel Adesanya earlier this year, is expected to return in August against Uriah Hall.
Both ESPN and MMA Junkie are reporting the pairing for August, although no date is currently known. Both sides have agreed to the match-up however.
At age 43, Romero (13-5) has been something of an ageless wonder in MMA. The Cuban is an Olympic silver medalist in wrestling who transitioned to the sport rather late. Still, he went on a tear upon his arrival in the UFC, winning eight straight fights over increasingly tough competition. That earned him an interim title fight against Robert Whittaker, which Romero lost. Romero wound up in another interim title fight, against Luke Rockhold, next, winning the bout but failing to claim the title after missing weight. Despite that, he was granted a title shot in a rematch against Whittaker, missed weight again, and lost a controversial split decision.
Somehow, after losing a unanimous decision against Paulo Costa, Romero was handed a title shot against Israel Adesanya this past March. He was heavily criticized for the fight that ensued, which saw him sit on his heels and employ a cautious style, seemingly waiting for attacks from Adesanya that never came.
Still, Yoel Romero is likely to be a heavy favorite against Hall (15-9). “Prime Time” has struggled with high-level wrestlers in the past, though he does come into the fight on a two-bout win streak. In his last two outings, Hall has earned wins over Bevon Lewis and Antonio Carlos Junior. He’s 1-3 in his past four, with the lone loss coming to Paulo Costa.
The UFC has a number of dates planned for August, although locations have yet to be confirmed. The promotion returned to Las Vegas recently, and has been hosting events at the UFC Apex. In July, it will run four “Fight Island” shows on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
