Yoel Romero Palacio is a Cuban professional mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler. He currently fights in the Light Heavyweight division for Bellator MMA, having previously competed in the UFC's Middleweight division, even challenging for the title. His background also includes a successful freestyle wrestling career.
April 30, 1977: Birth of Yoel Romero
Yoel Romero Palacio was born on April 30, 1977.
1997: Yoel Romero's Senior Wrestling Debut
Yoel Romero began representing Cuba in the FILA Wrestling World Championships in 1997.
1997: Romero's Fifth Place Finish
Yoel Romero finished fifth at the 1997 FILA World Championships.
1999: Yoel Romero Becomes World Champion
Yoel Romero defeated Khadzhimurad Magomedov at the 1999 World Wrestling Championships to become world champion.
2000: Olympic Silver Medal for Romero
Yoel Romero won a silver medal in freestyle wrestling, representing Cuba in the 2000 Summer Olympics.
2002: Romero's Controversial Loss
Yoel Romero narrowly lost a match in the 2002 World Wrestling Championships after a controversial penalty and overtime decision.
2003: Romero's Injury and Sixth Place Finish
Yoel Romero battled injuries and finished sixth at the 2003 FILA World Championships.
2004: Romero's Final Olympics
Yoel Romero placed fourth in freestyle wrestling, representing Cuba in the 2004 Summer Olympics.
2005: Romero's Suspension
Yoel Romero was suspended for the entirety of 2006 by the Cuban Wrestling Federation for allegedly throwing a match against Mindorashvili at the 2005 World Championships.
2005: End of Romero's First Run with FILA
Yoel Romero's run with the FILA Wrestling World Championships ended in 2005.
2006: Romero's Suspension Continues
Yoel Romero's 2006 suspension by the Cuban Wrestling Federation continued.
2007: Romero Begins Training MMA
Yoel Romero began training in mixed martial arts after defecting to Germany in 2007.
2008: Romero Trains Under New Coaches
Yoel Romero began training with Serge Kuftin and Zike Simic in 2008.
December 2009: Romero's MMA Debut
Yoel Romero made his professional mixed martial arts debut in December 2009 after defecting to Germany in 2007.
July 2011: Romero Signs with Strikeforce
Yoel Romero signed with Strikeforce in July 2011.
September 10, 2011: Romero's Strikeforce Debut
Yoel Romero signed with Strikeforce in July 2011, and lost his debut fight on September 10, 2011 against Rafael Cavalcante by knockout.
2011: Romero Parts Ways with Coaches
Yoel Romero stopped training with Serge Kuftin and Zike Simic in 2011.
2011: Romero's Early MMA Wins
Yoel Romero won three fights by TKO in the first round in 2011.
April 20, 2013: UFC Debut and Knockout of the Night
Yoel Romero made his UFC debut on April 20, 2013 at UFC on Fox 7, defeating Clifford Starks by flying knee knockout in the first round and earning a Knockout of the Night bonus.
August 31, 2013: Romero vs. Brunson Cancelled
Yoel Romero's fight against Derek Brunson, scheduled for August 31, 2013 at UFC 164, was canceled due to Brunson's injury. Brian Houston was also unable to fight Romero due to medical reasons.
November 6, 2013: Romero Defeats Markes
Yoel Romero defeated Ronny Markes by knockout in the third round at UFC Fight Night 31 on November 6, 2013.
2013: Romero Recovers from Neck Injury
Yoel Romero recovered from a neck injury that had kept him out since 2013.
January 15, 2014: Romero vs. Brunson II
On January 15, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 35, Yoel Romero defeated Derek Brunson by TKO in round three after trailing for two rounds. The fight earned both fighters a $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus.
September 27, 2014: Romero's Controversial Victory
Yoel Romero won a controversial fight on September 27, 2014 at UFC 178 against Tim Kennedy by TKO in round three after receiving extra time to recover between rounds two and three due to a cut.
January 15, 2015: Souza Withdraws
Ronaldo Souza withdrew from his fight with Yoel Romero on January 15, 2015 due to pneumonia.
February 28, 2015: Romero vs. Souza Rescheduled
Yoel Romero's fight against Ronaldo Souza, originally scheduled for February 28, 2015 at UFC 184, was rescheduled for April 18, 2015 at UFC on Fox 15.
April 18, 2015: Romero Injured, Withdraws from Fight
Yoel Romero withdrew from his fight against Ronaldo Souza on April 18, 2015 due to a knee injury.
June 27, 2015: Romero's First Main Event Win
Yoel Romero defeated Lyoto Machida by knockout at UFC Fight Night 70, Romero's first main event, and received a "Performance of the Night" bonus.
December 12, 2015: Romero Defeats Souza
Yoel Romero defeated Ronaldo Souza by split decision at UFC 194 on December 12, 2015.
January 13, 2016: Romero informed of potential doping violation
On January 13, 2016, Yoel Romero was informed of a potential doping violation from an out-of-competition test by USADA after his bout with Ronaldo Souza on December 12, 2015. Romero tested positive for ibutamoren, a growth hormone release stimulator, from a contaminated supplement. He was eventually given a six-month suspension on April 4, 2016.
November 12, 2016: Romero Earns Title Shot
Yoel Romero defeated Chris Weidman by knockout at UFC 205 on November 12, 2016, extending his win streak to eight and becoming the next in line for a middleweight title shot.
July 8, 2017: Romero's Loss to Whittaker
Yoel Romero lost to Robert Whittaker at UFC 213 on July 8, 2017 in a fight for the interim UFC Middleweight Championship.
January 13, 2018: Romero replaces Whittaker at UFC 221
On January 13, 2018, it was announced that Yoel Romero would replace Robert Whittaker at UFC 221 to fight Luke Rockhold for the interim UFC Middleweight Championship after Whittaker pulled out due to an undisclosed injury.
February 24, 2018: Romero vs. Rockhold at UFC on Fox 28
On February 24, 2018, Yoel Romero faced Luke Rockhold at UFC on Fox 28 after originally being scheduled to fight David Branch. Romero missed weight, coming in at 188.3 lbs, making him ineligible for the interim UFC Middleweight Championship. Despite this, Romero defeated Rockhold via KO in the third round, but was fined 30% of his purse, which went to Rockhold.
June 9, 2018: Romero vs. Whittaker Rematch at UFC 225
On June 9, 2018, Yoel Romero had a rematch with Robert Whittaker at UFC 225. Romero missed weight, coming in at 186 pounds, which resulted in the bout proceeding as a non-title catchweight fight. Despite a back-and-forth battle, Romero lost by a close split decision. The fight was awarded Fight of the Night, with Whittaker receiving both $50,000 bonuses due to Romero missing weight.
November 3, 2018: Romero vs. Costa scheduled at UFC 230
Yoel Romero was scheduled to face Paulo Costa on November 3, 2018, at UFC 230. However, in mid-August, Romero revealed that despite being cleared to fight, his doctors recommended waiting until early 2019 to allow facial injuries to fully heal.
April 27, 2019: Romero pulls out from Souza fight at UFC Fight Night 150
Yoel Romero was scheduled to face Ronaldo Souza on April 27, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 150. However, due to illness, Romero pulled out of the bout in early April 2019 and was replaced by Jack Hermansson.
August 17, 2019: Romero vs. Costa at UFC 241
On August 17, 2019, Yoel Romero faced Paulo Costa at UFC 241. Despite trailing in the first two rounds, Romero dominated the third round in what became one of the greatest 3-round fights in UFC history. He lost the fight via unanimous decision but earned the Fight of the Night award.
March 7, 2020: Romero vs. Adesanya at UFC 248
On March 7, 2020, Yoel Romero faced Israel Adesanya at UFC 248 for the UFC Middleweight title. Romero lost the fight via unanimous decision, with many fans and pundits expressing disappointment due to the low activity by both fighters, resulting in a largely uneventful match.
August 22, 2020: Romero pulls out from Hall fight at UFC on ESPN 15
Yoel Romero was scheduled to face Uriah Hall on August 22, 2020, at UFC on ESPN 15. However, Romero pulled out of the fight on August 11 for undisclosed reasons, leading to the bout's cancellation.
December 14, 2020: Romero signs with Bellator MMA
On December 14, 2020, it was announced that Yoel Romero had signed a multi-fight deal with Bellator MMA and was expected to compete in their light heavyweight division starting in 2021.
February 9, 2021: Romero to participate in Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix
On February 9, 2021, it was announced that Yoel Romero would participate in the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Tournament. Originally scheduled to face Anthony Johnson in the quarterfinal round on April 16, the bout was later moved to May 7. However, on April 29, Romero failed his medicals due to an eye issue, leading to the bout's cancellation.
September 18, 2021: Romero's Bellator debut at Bellator 266
Yoel Romero made his Bellator debut on September 18, 2021, at Bellator 266 against Phil Davis. He lost the bout via split decision.
2021: Romero awarded damages in legal battle
In 2021, Yoel Romero was awarded $27 million in damages after pursuing legal action against a supplement company for a contaminated supplement that led to a doping violation. The damages were later reduced to $12.45 million by the New Jersey Superior Court, with reputational damages to be decided in another trial.
May 6, 2022: Romero vs. Polizzi at Bellator 280
Yoel Romero was scheduled to fight Melvin Manhoef on May 6, 2022, at Bellator 280. However, Manhoef withdrew due to a hand injury and was replaced by Alex Polizzi. Romero won the bout via TKO in the final seconds of the third round.
September 23, 2022: Romero vs. Manhoef at Bellator 285
On September 23, 2022, Yoel Romero faced Melvin Manhoef at Bellator 285. Romero won the bout by knockout on the ground via elbows in the third round.
February 4, 2023: Romero vs. Nemkov fight cancelled at Bellator 290
On February 4, 2023, Yoel Romero was scheduled to face Vadim Nemkov for the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship at Bellator 290. However, Nemkov withdrew due to undisclosed reasons, leading to the bout's cancellation.
June 16, 2023: Romero vs. Nemkov at Bellator 297
Yoel Romero faced Vadim Nemkov for the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship on June 16, 2023, at Bellator 297. Romero lost the fight via unanimous decision.
February 24, 2024: Romero vs. Santos at PFL vs. Bellator
On February 24, 2024, Yoel Romero faced Thiago Santos at PFL vs. Bellator. Romero won the bout by unanimous decision.
June 15, 2024: Romero to compete against Owen Livesey at Polaris 28
Yoel Romero is scheduled to compete against Owen Livesey in an openweight match at Polaris 28 on June 15, 2024.