After losing to Robert Whittaker at UFC 213 in an interim Middleweight title fight, Yoel Romero hoped to return to action against Luke Rockhold. But, apparently Luke wasn’t having it, much to the dismay of “Solider of God.”
However, he’s not getting that fight because of two reasons. One, Rockhold wasn’t into the idea of accepting that fight. The other reason is that he beat David Branch and is now taking on Whittaker for the middleweight title at UFC 221.
Yoel says the former Strikeforce Rockhold middleweight champion was simply looking for the easiest fight available.
“I don’t understand why he said no. I don’t understand. Maybe he had a strategy in the mind. He say, ‘No I wont fight Yoel, I will fight somebody easy.’ Respect to David Branch, but that’s the way he thinks, you know? That’s Luke’s mentality, ‘I want a more easy fight, win and Yoel Romero lose his last fight.’” said the tank of a middleweight on a recent edition of The MMA Hour.
As per Yoel, Rockhold needed to face him first with the winner getting dibs on the next title shot.
“For my opinion, he needed a fight with me and the winner fight with Robert. The problem is UFC has a show in Australia and this guy is the champion right now in my division. So he needed somebody and UFC gave it to Luke Rockhold because he win his last fight,” added Romero, who says he is now waiting for someone to just agree to step into the cage with him.
“I am waiting for UFC for a fight. I want to main event Feb. 24 in Orlando. I am waiting for the fight for Luke Rockhold, but I know now he has a fight with Robert. Now I am waiting for somebody. But nobody say ‘Yes, I want to fight Yoel.’ So give me somebody, maybe Michael Bisping,” he said with a laugh, while confirming Kelvin Gastelum also turned down a fight against him.
After defeating David Branch this past September after being away from sports over a year. Rockhold was the recipient of a surprise title shot a couple months later against Robert Whittaker after Georges St-Pierre (GSP) decided to vacate the 185-pound belt due to an ongoing battle with colitis.
Robert Whittaker set to square off against Luke Rockhold at UFC 221 title bout on February 10 in Perth Australia.
