In a veterans' duel at Bellator 285, Yoel Romero beats Melvin Manhoef by knockout and retires his rival

Y. Romero won another fight at Bellator 285 (Photo: Disclosure)

The duel between experienced athletes at Bellator 285, which took place this Friday (23), was won easily by one of the veterans. With complete dominance in standing and ground fighting, Yoel romero 'crushed' Melvin Manhoef and emerged victorious with a knockout in the third round. The show was valid for the light heavyweight division (up to 93kg) and took place at the 3Arena, in Dublin, Ireland.

With two consecutive victories, Romero continues with his dream of becoming champion of the under-93kg division. At 45 years old, the Cuban has a record in the sport of 15 triumphs and six setbacks as a professional.

After having his last fight as a professional athlete, Melvin Manhoef hangs up his gloves with a record of 32 wins, 16 losses and one no-contest. The Suriname-born Dutchman started out as a fighter way back in 1999.

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THE FIGHT

The first few seconds were of study between the two fighters. Manhoef tried to explode but received a hard counterattack, then slipped while trying to kick the Cuban. Yoel applied a low kick, knocked Melvin down and immediately gained mount over the Dutchman. With total control on the ground, Romero weighed his body on Manhoef, looking for a chance to finish the fight. The Cuban started to punish his rival with elbows and punches. Yoel grabbed his rival's arm and tried to submit, while the Dutchman fought to survive. The round ended, luckily for Melvin.

The second half started with both fighters at a more measured pace, with Manhoef trying to get closer using low kicks. Melvin tried to explode, but bumped into his rival's guard. Unable to get closer and strike Romero, Manhoef continued using low kicks, even from a distance and without being effective. In a second of frank exchanges, Yoel lands a cross that wobbles Manhoef. The Dutchman tried to take down the Cuban, but was unable to take him down and almost took a knee as a counterattack.

At the beginning of the third half, Manhoef tried a combination of blows, but Romero dodged it and did a 'little dance' to provoke his opponent. The 'Soldier of God' entered the legs and took down Melvin with great ease. With just over three minutes left, the Cuban had all the time in the world to keep his opponent pinned to the ground. Romero used his forearm to put pressure on Melvin's neck and punished his opponent with a barrage of elbows until the central referee interrupted.