Yoel Romero Criticizes UFC For Allowing Michael Bisping To Fight Kelvin Gastelum
It is no secret that Yoel Romero and former UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping aren’t the best of friends.
Bisping returned to action at UFC Fight Night Shanghai against Kelvin Gastelum, which took place less than a month after his title loss to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 217.
Despite their rivalry, allowing Bisping to compete so quickly after a devastating loss is something Romero thinks the UFC got wrong.
“You know, that was the big surprise,” Romero said on The MMA Hour. “Why? It’s so crazy, it doesn’t make sense. I don’t know how the athletic commission said yes and accepted that he’d fight. It’s so crazy, it’s so crazy. I don’t know how the family, the relatives of Michael Bisping allowed him to fight, I don’t know why the team, the coaches said, ‘OK, take the fight.’ I don’t know why Michael Bisping took the fight. I don’t know why the UFC said yes. This is very dangerous, it’s not just a fight, it’s very dangerous. Normally, he needed rest for like 16 to 19 days, you know. But he’s sleeping, he didn’t tap out, he went to sleep (in the St-Pierre bout). When that happens in a fight, like a choke or knockout, you need a rest, like a minimum of 16 days.”
The former UFC Middleweight Champion did suffer a brutal knockout loss to Gastelum in their encounter.
Romero saw the knockout coming when he watched the bout, especially when Gastelum landed the jab against Bisping.
“I said, ‘OK, the first time with Gastelum, like a jab or something in the face, he (Bisping) was going to go out because he didn’t go through the [recuperation] and the rest that he needed,” says Romero.
UFC On Fox 28 takes place on Saturday, February 24 from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida with no main event announced at this time. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which airs live on Fox.
