After months of rumors and crossed fingers, it’s official: Israel Adesanya will defend his middleweight title against Yoel Romero in the UFC 248 main event.
Adesanya, who has a flawless 18-0 professional MMA record, has been asking to fight Romero for quite some time now, respectfully calling him out and repeatedly expressing his admiration for the fighter. The title defense will be Adesanya’s first since he knocked out Robert Whittaker back in October at UFC 243.
Romero has had less recent success in the Octagon, losing three of his last four fights, with two of those losses going to Whittaker. However, Adesanya recognizes Romero’s grit and talent, and the fact that eleven of Romero’s thirteen wins have come via KO or TKO (even against standouts like Lyoto Machida and Chris Weidman) helps to make him a dangerous and worthy challenger for the champ.
UFC 248 will take place on March 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
