Yoel Romero’s Bellator debut has been rescheduled for September 18 against former champion Phil Davis in San Jose, California.
Former three-time UFC title challenger Yoel Romero has once again been scheduled to make his Bellator debut, this time on September 18 against former champion Phil Davis in San Jose. Ariel Helwani was first to report the news. The fight will be the main event of the card.
Yoel Romero will make his Bellator debut against Phil Davis on Sept. 18, sources told @MikeCoppinger after an initial report by Ariel Helwani. pic.twitter.com/KnGmd2gGeQ
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 13, 2021
Romero (13-5) will be moving up in weight to compete at 205 pounds for the first time since 2011. “The Soldier of God” enters Bellator following a successful run in the UFC where he was a perennial title contender who challenged for the middleweight belt on multiple occasions. Romero was scheduled to make his debut in the light heavyweight Grand Prix in May against Anthony Johnson, but the fight was cancelled due to Romero not clearing medicals. Romero last fought in March of 2020 where he challenged Israel Adesanya for the UFC middleweight championship.
Davis (22-6) is looking to get back into the title conversation following a second loss to reigning champion Vadim Nemkov this past April. A UFC veteran himself, Davis left the promotion in free agency in 2015 and won the Bellator title shortly afterward. “Mr. Wonderful” has been a perennial top contender in the years since, facing names such as Nemkov, Ryan Bader, Lyoto Machida, and others during his tenure.
The event will be Bellator’s first event in their home base at the SAP Center in San Jose, California since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. The last event held by the promotion at the venue was Bellator 226 in September of 2019. No further details on the undercard have been announced.
