Ever since defeating former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman at UFC 205, Yoel Romero has thought the next title shot would be his.
However, according to Romero’s longtime manager in Malki Kawa, the middleweight star may not be getting a title shot if the champion continues ducking him.
“I don’t care what anybody says, he is absolutely ducking Yoel Romero right now. It’s been confirmed to me by everybody at the UFC. Michael Bisping wants no part of Yoel Romero at this point. None whatsoever. I’m not telling you that he’s necessarily ducking him because he doesn’t want to ever fight him, I just think that right now, at this point he’s just trying to sidestep that fight, take this Georges St-Pierre fight, hope he wins, and if he wins, ‘I’ll fight Yoel Romero.’ If he doesn’t win, ‘I got my payday,’ and then Yoel can go and fight Georges,” Kawa sais on The Luke Thomas Show.
Bisping has been recovering from a knee injury and he hasn’t fought since a decision win over Dan Henderson at UFC 204. Kawa also states that while Bisping is ducking his client, everybody from UFC management to the celebrity owners on the promotion believe Romero is next in line for a shot.
“The reality of it is that Dana agrees and so does every single person that owns the UFC, has a piece of the UFC,” said Kawa. “From the celebrity owners to Ari Emanuel, Patrick Whitesell, every one of the employees at WME, every single person here at First Round Management, and probably the millions and millions of fans that watch the UFC agree that Yoel Romero deserves the next shot at Michael Bisping. I think the issue here is the following: Michael Bisping understands that his days are numbered when it comes to a guy like Yoel Romero. I think he understands the game very well from every opponent he’s picked. Obviously, you’ve seen what he’s done. He fought Dan Henderson. He wanted Dan Henderson in London. It made no sense whatsoever. The UFC didn’t want to do that fight. He kind of forced their hand because obviously he has the belt.”
Romero has already earned three wins over former champions in the UFC, as he has defeated former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida and former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Ronaldo Souza.
