Yoel Romero Says Fight With Israel Adesanya Would Determine ‘True’ UFC Middleweight Champion

Yoel Romero is still pushing for a title opportunity against Israel Adesanya.

Romero finds himself in an interesting spot. He’s lost two bouts in a row, which almost always eliminates a fighter from title contention unless he or she can string together some more wins. In the case of Romero, his decision losses to Robert Whittaker in their rematch and Paulo Costa can be argued.

Romero appeared on ESPN’s Ariel Helwani MMA Show and made it clear that he’s still gunning for “The Last Stylebender,”

“I’m staying ready for the fight because I’m still hungry,” Romero said. “I want this fight to happen because many people talk, ‘Who is the true [champion]? Who is the real champion of middleweight?’ And the people know who it is because everybody has seen what happened the last three fights before. Now Israel has the belt, the people want to see who is the real champion.”

While Romero has dropped three of his last four fights, he feels fight fans truly know that he’s the real winner.

“The people see that I am losing three fight. Yes, I’m losing three fight,” Romero said. “But when you ask them, inside their soul, ‘Did Yoel Romero lose?’ Yoel Romero did not lose. Yoel Romero is still the winner. Now you see what happened, the people want to see the really best people fight. Who is the best middleweight right now? I fight everybody, the best people in my division, the best fighters, and beat them. I not lose. I beat everyone. I feel like the day when I lose, I’m ready for the day when I lose because everybody have the beginning and everybody have the end of their career. But it’s not my day. I’m still training, I’m still hungry. The day when it comes and I lose I say, ‘Okay, today I lose it because it is what it is.’

“I stay in the sport for a long time. I know the code for the sport, the real sport. I am the real sportsman. The day when I lose, I say I lose. The day when I lose in the Olympic game, I lose. Everybody ask me, ‘You’re a loser?’ Yes, I lose it. Somebody beat me. But right now, nobody beat me in the UFC. Maybe three people. The last fight, no Paulo Costa. Maybe three people. [Referring to the judges]. Everybody knows what I’m talking about.”

UFC president Dana White has said “The Solider of God” needs to win his next fight before getting a title shot. Reports have surfaced claiming that the UFC boss has changed his tune, however. Adesanya has claimed that the UFC feels a bout with Romero won’t sell.