Everyone is still talking about Yoel Romero’s finish — and his post-fight kiss — of Luke Rockhold from UFC 221. Despite missing weight, the consensus seems that he’ll still get the title shot against Robert Whittaker. After already being fined and losing out on a win bonus, he has been punished and did win the fight. It’s hard to argue who else would be deserving of a shot, but former champion Chris Weidman thinks it is him. Michael Bisping had a chuckle over it and broke down the fight he believes the UFC will do.
“You know what’s funny? Chris Weidman, he’s saying that he should get a title shot. I think that’s kind of laughable, Chris. I don’t want to get into a whole beef with Chris Weidman, but you did get knocked out in three of your last four fights. I don’t think that makes you eligible for a title shot. I don’t think he has any case to get a title shot. I think the correct fight — and Dana [White] has announced — [is] Yoel Romero versus Robert Whittaker. I think that’s going to be a different fight. That fight was only six months ago, something like that.
ICYMI: Dana White has confirmed that Yoel Romero will fight Robert Whittaker next.@bisping @TWooodley debate what a championship rematch would look like! #UFC221 https://t.co/Iagztk7HJw
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) February 11, 2018
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“I think Yoel Romero thought that Australians can’t wrestle to save their lives, of course Romero is a two-time Olympic wrestler and one of the best wrestlers in the UFC, he thought he was just going to take him down and have his way with him on the ground. […] But obviously, Whittaker’s takedown defence was fantastic and Romero got tired. […] I think actually think Romero will beat Whittaker in the rematch. I don’t think he’s going to try and wrestle him as much and he won’t gas. We will see. I think Whittaker put on a helluva fight as well. In fact, I retract that statement, I think Whittaker wins.” — Michael Bisping on his Believe You Me podcast via MMA NYTT.
After a three fight losing skid and an injury, Chris Weidman came back and submitted top five middleweight Kelvin Gastelum. He’ll do anything he can to march back to carrying UFC gold, but it looks like he’ll still have to get through someone else to be able to do it. A fight with Jacare Souza seems to make the most sense. Or, maybe Bisping is angling for Weidman as the opponent for his retirement fight? With all these guys together, it’s a four-way dance to who gets to be champion and who is going to be stuck just under the peak of the division.
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 2/14/2018.