The mess in the middleweight division is finally fixed, as Robert Whittaker claimed the interim middleweight championship by defeating Yoel Romero in the main event of UFC 213.There was already some negativity heading into fight night as news broke that Amanda Nunes pulled out of her bantamweight championship defence against Valentina Shevchenko, therefore Bobby Knuckles and the Soldier of God were bumped up to the main event – and they didn’t disappoint in Las Vegas.
MAIN EVENT
The dangerous Cuban easily won the first two rounds, but it was a leg kick in round one which had everyone talking.
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The push kicks from Romero clearly took their toll on Whittaker’s knee, as he went back to his corner after the first with cameras picking up what he said, claiming that his left leg was 'jacked.'
However, that wasn't going to stop him as he persevered to show the heart of a true warrior, and a champion.
Romero got off to a stronger start on the night, taking the first two rounds as he landed some beautiful shots in short bursts, and it was clear that he’d utilise his superior wrestling skills to his advantage.
Although Whittaker pretty much blew out his knee after taking an inside kick, he showed off his elite-level defence as he managed to get back up every time Romero took him down to the mat.
With the fight swaying Romero’s way, Whittaker battled back in the third and picked up the pace by throwing kicks more frequently – with his good leg - to throw off Romero and his timing; bagging the third and fourth round.
NEW CHAMPION
The final round was crucial, as that’s what decided the outcome after both fighters managed to win two rounds each.
Urgency was displayed by both men who gave it a real shot of going the extra mile to win, but a late knockdown from Whittaker sealed the deal.
That, along with the Australian spending the majority of the final round in top position to assert his dominance as he became the interim middleweight champion with all three judges scoring the bout 48-47.
Speaking after the fight, Whittaker acknowledged that his knee was hurt pretty bad, and claimed that the injury was having an impact on his performance.
He said: “It definitely was impacting my game. I was trying to establish the jab.
“It was pretty bad, but champions are made of this stuff.”
The marks victory number eight in a row for Whittaker, having beaten Jacare Souza and now Romero back-to-back. Now, only Michael Bisping stands in his way where we’ll find out who the best middleweight on the planet truly is.
For Romero, it looks like his dream of fighting The Count inside of the Octagon will have to wait.
What did you make of Robert Whittaker’s victory over Yoel Romero? Have YOUR say in the comments section below.
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