P. Borrachinha (photo) beats Y. Romero. Photo: Reproduction/Twitter @ borrachinhaMMA
It was worth the wait! Paulo borrachinha e Yoel romero They presented the public with a spectacle worthy of a major event. After three hard-fought rounds, Paulo borrachinha had his hand raised in the unanimous decision of the judges. With the triumph, the Brazilian moves closer to a future middleweight title fight. The duel was an attraction at UFC 241, held this Saturday (17), in Anaheim (USA).
See too
Although the fight between Cormier and Miocic was the main duel of the night, the fight between Paulo and Yoel was certainly one of the most anticipated on the card. On three occasions, the fight between the athletes was cancelled, however, this weekend, the combatants were finally able to exchange forces and prove who would do better in a confrontation.
In addition to playing against the number two in the middleweight rankings (up to 83,9kg), Borrachinha (7th) put at stake an unbeaten record that now lasts 13 matches. Romero was fighting to get another chance at winning the division title.
During the three rounds, the athletes challenged each other and were able to excite the audience present in the arena. The fight unfolded in a balanced way, but, in the opinion of the combat judges, the Brazilian was more effective and deserved to emerge victorious from the United States. After the results were announced, Romero was unhappy and almost left the Octagon, but then showed sport and hugged his rival.
Now, Paulo must await the result of the fight between the champions Robert whittaker e Israel adesanya in the fight to unify the middleweight belt. The fight is scheduled for UFC 243, on October 6th.
The fight
The duel began with Borrachinha taking the initiative, delivering two kicks in a row, which were dodged by the Cuban. Romero responded, also with a high kick, hitting the Brazilian, but Paulo did not attack the blow. The Brazilian dropped a bomb that exploded in Yoel's guard, who again responded with a cross, knocking Paulo down, but the Minas Gerais native got up quickly. The duel remained tense, with Borrachinha throwing blows, while Romero dodged against the fence. The miner continued walking towards his opponent, but Yoel remained protecting himself and remained dangerous in counterattacks. After three minutes, Romero stopped the fight, pointing out a low blow from the Brazilian. The athlete then had five minutes to recover. Upon return, Paulo continued attacking Romero, but was in danger with the response blows applied by his rival. The two athletes showed great resistance in absorbing each other's powerful attacks. A dangerous left hand from Yoel hit Paulo hard in the face, who moved away, but soon recovered. After an eventful round, time ran out.
In the second stage, Romero started with a high kick, which was saved by the Brazilian. Borrachinha remained very aggressive by throwing punches and kicks that touched the Cuban's body, but the athlete showed impressive resistance to remain active in the fight. After two minutes, Yoel began to provoke the Brazilian and show his tongue, implying that the blows were having no effect. However, Romero's appearance was no longer so calm. Whenever he attacked, the Cuban continued to present danger to Paulo. Some of Romero's jabs began to touch the miner's face, who no longer struck as much as he did at the beginning. More tired, Borrachinha began to miss his shots and his opponent took advantage of the unfavorable situation. Yoel continued to score with jabs and straight shots, which hit the Brazilian in the face. In the end, the Cuban managed to get a good takedown on Paulo, but the timer ran to zero.
In the final stage, more tired, the athletes saved their attacks, but still continued heading towards the fight. An uppercut rocked Borrachinha, but the Brazilian showed a lot of courage and continued to attack. The fight was interrupted, this time due to a finger in Yoel's eye. The Ultimate doctor evaluated the athlete and allowed the fight to continue. Upon his return, the Minas Gerais native delivered a good low kick to Romero and then delivered a cross to the Cuban's face, who, again, stuck his tongue out at Paulo. The Brazilian once again insisted on punching Yoel's waistline. Again, Romero responded and applied a jab and straight, which exploded in the Brazilian's face. This time, Borrachinha responded to the provocation by sticking his tongue out at his opponent. In the final minute, Paulo was already showing signs of fatigue and began to receive several blows from Romero. In the end, Yoel managed a takedown, but Paulo soon got up. Just as they were about to start engaging in frank exchanges, the duel was ended.
UFC 241 results
MAIN CARD
Heavy weight (up to 120,2kg): Daniel Cormier x Stipe Miocic – title fight
Welterweight (up to 77kg): Anthony Pettis x Nate diaz
Average weight (up to 83,9kg): Paulo borrachinha derrotou Yoel romero in the unanimous decision of the judges (29-28 29-28 29-28)
Featherweight (up to 65,7kg): Sodiq Yusuf defeated Gabriel Benítez by knockout at 4m14s of R1
Middleweight (up to 83,9kg): Derek Brunson derrotou Ian Heinisch in the unanimous decision of the judges (29-28 29-28 29-28)
PRELIMINARY CARD
Light weight (up to 70,3kg.): Khama Worthy derrotou Devonte Smith by knockout at 4m15s of R1
Bantam weight (up to 61,2kg): Cory Sandhagen derrotou Raphael Assunção in the unanimous decision of the judges (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Light weight (up to 70,3kg.): Drakkar Klose derrotou Christos Giagos in the unanimous decision of the judges (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Bantam weight (up to 61,2kg): Casey kenney defeated Manny Bermudez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Strawweight (up to 52,1kg): Hannah Cifers defeated Jodie Esquibel via unanimous decision (30-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Bantam weight (up to 61,2kg): Kyung Ho Kang derrotou Brandon davis in the judges' split decision (29-28 28-29 29-28)
Flyweight (up to 56,7kg): Sabina mazo defeated Shana Dobson via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-24, 30-25)
Comments