Fans were incredibly excited to see former UFC stars Anthony Johnson and Yoel Romero make their Bellator debuts against each other. However it seems that this will have to wait a little longer, as the Cuban has been forced to withdraw.
It seemed to come out of nowhere when Romero was revealed to have been cut by the UFC. After rumors of where he may end up, it was announced that he had signed with Bellator, where he would compete as a light heavyweight.
This revelation was only made more exciting by the fact that he would be competing in the promotion’s light heavyweight tournament. On top of that, his first round opponent was set to be against a fellow former UFC fighter, in the form of Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.
Yoel Romero Fails Medical Screening
Without a doubt, this bout between Anthony Johnson and Yoel Romero was the most anticipated bout in the first round of the tournament. However it seems that this fight is no longer taking place.
According to a statement from Bellator, Yoel has been forced out of the contest, and therefore the tournament, due to failing to pass his pre-fight medical screenings. Now Rumble will be facing an alternate for the tournament, who has yet to be determined.
“Romero will become eligible to reapply for clearance to compete in the coming months, and we look forward to seeing him make his Bellator debut in the near future. Bellator MMA will look to reschedule the highly anticipated Johnson versus Romero bout for a later date,” the statement reads.
Official @BellatorMMA Statement on Yoel Romero pic.twitter.com/8XHF2rK0zZ
— Bellator Public Relations (@BellatorPR) April 30, 2021
The exact reason for Yoel Romero failing his screenings is unclear, but he is able to reapply for clearance in three months. Rumble reacted to the news with a post on Instagram, explaining how sad he was about the news.
“💔 with the news but whatever the issue is I hope Yoel gets back on his feet and able to compete again very soon. Sorry to the fans for the disappointment,” Johnson wrote.
This is obviously heartbreaking news to hear, as there was a high level of excitement for Anthony Johnson vs Yoel Romero. Hopefully whatever kept him from getting cleared will not be a problem when he reapplies.
