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As we move to the Bellator front, it’s hard not to be anything but direct.
Anyone who worried about how Yoel Romero’s promotional debut was put together saw their worst fears come true. Confronting him with Phil Davis was a recipe for disappointment from the start, and it played out like that in a split decision loss.
That’s not to say that I wanted Romero (13-6 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) to win or that I hate Davis (23-6 MMA, 10-3 BMMA), but like I said before the fight: was perhaps the worst and most confusing reservation Bellator could have made for Romero’s debut.
One would think that given the value of the name Romero and his followers, it would be best to put him in a position to thrive. He came in on a three-fight losing skid and fresh from a UFC title fight loss to Israel Adesanya in a very forgettable affair, and it was an opportunity to regain some momentum behind him. For me, the solution was to put him in a favorable game where he can shine.
Davis, however, is the exact opposite of this. “Mister. Wonderful” is probably on the last nine of his career, but he’s still very good. Davis is rarely beaten, and when he is, the opponent hardly ever looks impressive. He’s never been finished and knows how to get through a fight with minimal damage absorption, and Davis isn’t afraid to get into a low-action, low-return deal.
This is the recipe for what we had on Saturday. To his credit, Davis fought hyper aggressively in the third round relentlessly taking Romero to the ground, but that’s not what the majority of people who logged on wanted to see.
It’s not Davis’s fault. He did what he had to do to win, and against someone as scary as Romero, this is the approach to take. But that was what was wrong with this fight from the moment it was staged.
Romero has now lost four consecutive fights and hasn’t raised a hand since February 2018. I’m quite curious what Bellator’s plans are for him now. It’s probably fair to guess that Romero is paid a pretty dime, and at 44 there are still questions about how many more fights we’re going to get from him.
The bigger question is also how recoverable this is. The hype and anticipation around Romero’s debut was noticeable, but it’s a one-time hit. If he had won spectacularly, he would have been the star of the night. Instead, we were given a glimpse of his ceiling in Bellator.
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