Yoel Romero returns to action as he makes his Bellator debut against #3 ranked light heavyweight contender Phil Davis in a five-round main-event at Bellator 266. Romero will make his debut in the light-heavyweight division and returns to the cage after more than 15 months. Needless to say, fans had been waiting for the return of Yoel Romero for quite some time now, and we will finally get to see the Soldier of God once again in action as he takes on Phil Davis in a possible #1 contender’s fight for the Bellator light-heavyweight championship.
Ahead of what promises to be an exciting match-up between two of the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, let’s break down Phil Davis vs Yoel Romero and try to predict the winner of the fight ahead of Bellator 266.
Phil Davis vs Yoel Romero breakdown
Yoel Romero and Phil Davis have a lot of things similar. It’s not just the fact that they have both failed to secure the UFC gold despite humongous success in the promotion, but also how close both the fighters find themselves to victory whenever they lose. Davis has just tasted loss six times in his MMA career.
Davis has never been knocked out or submitted inside the Octagon. Considering he has fought some of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time including the likes of Rashad Evans, Anthony Johnson, Lyoto Machida, and Ryan Bader, it speaks very highly of the skillset that Phil Davis brings inside the cage. Additionally, three of those six losses have come via way of a split decision, proving how well Phil Davis has performed even in losses each time he has stepped inside the cage.
On the other side, Yoel Romero is coming off a championship loss against UFC’s Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya. Needless to say, the pressure on the 44-year old fighter is quite high, and the anticipation behind his light-heavyweight debut knows no bounds. Romero has always had trouble with making weight for the middleweight bouts, so it’s safe to say that Romero will be walking inside the cage coming off a much easier weight cut than his time in the UFC as a Middleweight contender.
Romero has tasted loss only five times inside the Octagon. While only one of these losses has come via way of a split decision, many argue that Romero’s outing against both Paulo Costa and Israel Adesanya could have gone either way.
Phil Davis vs Yoel Romero prediction
Both Phil Davis and Yoel Romero employ the same kind of fighting style whenever they step inside the cage. Davis likes to strike and relies mostly on his power to dominate his opponent. While it’s something that you would expect from Romero as well, Phil Davis mixed his game more than the former UFC’s title challenger.
At 44 years of age, Yoel Romero has looked a little less violent and aggressive than we have seen him throughout his MMA career. Needless to say, age takes a toll on everybody, and while Romero might be the Soldier of God, age catches up on everybody. That’s not saying Romero doesn’t have the power to finish Phil Davis. However, it will be easier said than done.
Phil Davis has never been knocked out in his MMA career, and his granite chin compliments his fighting style. If he can take some hits from Yoel Romero and keep coming forward, there’s every possibility that Phil Davis might just become the first fighter in almost a decade to hand a stoppage loss to Yoel Romero.
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While Romero does have the puncher’s advantage, the height and reach advantage could prove to be too much for the light-heavyweight debutante. If I may, head kick could prove to be the key for Phil Davis to win the fight.
Phil Davis vs Yoel Romero prediction: Phil Davis via T/KO (Fourth Round)
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