Yoel Romero laments failed UFC fight with icon Anderson Silva: ‘I feel a little mad’
Perennial middleweight contender, Yoel Romero has claimed he feels “mad” he never received the chance to share the Octagon with UFC icon, Anderson Silva during their respective tenures, despite a prior call out to boot.
Romero, a stalwart challenger in the promotion, competed for undisputed and interim middleweight spoils during his memorable and destructive run.
And since his exit back in 2020, the Cuban has competed under the umbrella of both Bellator MMA and PFL (Professional Fighters League).
However, set for his GFL (Global Fight League) debut this summer in New York, Romero revealed he will now take on former two-time Bellator MMA middleweight kingpin, Gegard Mousasi.
Yoel Romero laments failed UFC showdown with Anderson Silva
Initially scheduled to fight Brazilian veteran, Shogun Rua in a controversial showdown, Romero claims he’s upset to miss out on a pairing with the former Pride FC star — as he is to never receive the chance to take on former middleweight kingpin, Silva.
“For me it’s a great honor for me now, but I am very excited when the people say you fight yourself,” Yoel Romero told Submission Radio. “Wow. Yes, I got it, I take it. Yes. Of course. Yes. Because this fight is a medal for me. You know, I think that this medal. Because at the end of the day, when I finish in my career, I say I fight with that guy, I fight this guy. This guy is the legend. That’s it. You know what? All the time. I, I, I feel a little mad because I never fight a Anderson Silva.”
And sharing some brief history with the Brazilian veteran, Romero infamously called for the chance to take on Silva back in 2018, insisting his challenge was far from personal.
“I want to fight with him,” Romero told Ariel Helwani MMA Show. “It’s not personal, between me and Anderson, it’s for me, because Anderson is the best of all time in MMA. I have big respect for him. If you stay in the middleweight division and you don’t fight with the top 10 people, you won’t understand what exactly is your level. If you really want to know what is your level, you have to fight with Anderson Silva.”
