I. Adesanya (left) defeats Y. Romero (right) in UFC 248. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @ufc_brasil
The fight between Israel Adsanya and Yoel romero ended up not meeting expectations. In a fight valid for the middleweight belt (up to 83,9 kg.), in UFC 248, which took place this Saturday (7), in Las Vegas (USA), the Nigerian and the Cuban fought a tense, balanced fight with a lot of study. After five rounds, the Nigerian was declared the winner in a unanimous decision by the judges and maintained his position as champion.
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In the confrontation against Romero, Adesanya was far from being the athlete who has been enchanting the eyes of MMA fans. Without the traditional show, the Nigerian respected his opponent a lot and ended up being placed in risky situations throughout the fight.
Yoel entered the octagon with the plan of not allowing the champion to let go. Acting on the counterattack, the Cuban sometimes managed to touch his rival's body aggressively and shook his opponent in some situations.
The dispute ended up being heavily booed by the public present, who had just seen a great title fight in the confrontation between Weili Zhang and Joanna Jędrzejczyk. With the triumph, Israel must now face Paulo borrachinha and carry out the fight that many are waiting to see.
The fight
The fight started with Romero static in the center of the octagon while Adesanya moved. The athletes did not risk blows and continued waiting for the best moment to attack. With a minute gone by, no attacks had been launched. The audience booed and Israel threw a low kick at Romero. The challenger remained with his guard up and moving little. Yoel finally released a low kick, which shook the champion. Israel risked a sequence of kicks, which ended up in the Cuban's guard. Romero responded with a right bomb, which exploded in the Nigerian's face. In the final seconds, the Cuban launched a kick to the waist, but the champion defended himself well. The assault ended without much action from the two combatants.
Adesanya returned for the second round, taking the initiative with a kick to the challenger's waist. Romero tried to find the distance and continued saving on his strikes. Yoel threw a right cross again, which hit the champion and forced him to walk backwards. Israel appeared to be uncomfortable with the opponent's proposed fight, which was guarding itself and appearing dangerous in its attacks. Romero connected a sequence of punches, which pinned the champion against the bars. The Nigerian seemed scared by his opponent's attacks. The fight continued without much action until the timer reached zero.
In the third round, Israel took the initiative again, throwing a kick to his opponent's stomach. The champion continued to focus on kicks, but Yoel proved to be efficient in defense. Romero continued to throw fewer blows, but he was more efficient when he attacked. After almost four minutes, the combatants continued to face each other in the center of the octagon, but without firing any effective blows. In the final minute, the Cuban started to provoke the Nigerian. Adesanya connected with a good high kick, which stopped in the challenger's guard. The round ended and the public booed the fighters again.
Upon returning to the fourth round, the referee drew the fighters' attention to the lack of combativeness in the previous rounds. The athletes then entered the fight risking more blows, with Romero even more in danger. Yoel moved his arms and tried to mislead the Nigerian. After two minutes, Israel was betting on the strike and leave tactic. Halfway through the round, Romero was punched in the eye and the duel was interrupted. On his return, the Cuban managed a takedown on the Nigerian, but the champion got up easily. The referee once again demanded activity from the combatants, but the fight continued with a lot of study on both sides. In the final minute, the Nigerian managed to connect a sequence of jabs followed by a low kick, which shook his opponent. The assault ended with the athletes moving in the center of the octagon.
In the last round, athletes needed to score the maximum points to ensure victory in the confrontation. Adesanya launched a high kick, which was promptly saved by the Cuban. Yoel responded with a left cross, scaring the champion. Romero tried to force the champion to walk backwards by throwing a series of crosses. Two minutes later, the Cuban risked a takedown, which was saved by the Nigerian. The fight remained tense, with the athletes taking little risks to avoid being surprised by a knockout. Romero continued to launch the most dangerous attacks, while the champion walked backwards. In the final seconds, the athletes started to exchange franks, but there was no more time.
UFC 248 results
MAIN CARD
Average weight (up to 83,9kg): Israel adesanya derrotou Yoel romero in the unanimous decision of the judges (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) – Fight for the belt
Straw weight (up to 52,1kg): Weili Zhang derrotou Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the judges' split decision (48-47, 48-47, 48,47) – Fight for the belt
Light weight (up to 70,3kg.): Beneil Dariush derrotou Drakkar Klose by knockout 1m from R2
Welterweight (up to 77kg): Neil Magny derrotou li jingliang in the unanimous decision of the judges (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Welterweight (up to 77kg): Alex Cowboy derrotou Max griffin in the judges' split decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
PRELIMINARY CARD
Bantamweight (up to 61,2kg): Sean O'Malley defeated José Quiñonez by technical knockout at 2m02s of R1
Light weight (up to 70,3kg.): Mark madsen derrotou Austin Hubbard in the unanimous decision of the judges (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Average weight (up to 83,9kg): Rudolph Vieira finished Saparbek Safarov with a katagatame 2m58s from R1
Average weight (up to 83,9kg): Gerald meerschaert defeated Deron Winn with an injury choke at 3m13s of R3
Straw weight (up to 52,1kg): emily whitmire x Polyana viana fight canceled
Featherweight (up to 65,7kg): Giga Chikadze derrotou Jamall Emmers in the judges' split decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Bantam weight (up to 61,2kg): Danaa Batgerel derrotou Guido cannetti by knockout at 3m01s of R1
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