Yoel Romero will now face a tougher opponent than originally planned for his debut in the GFL (Global Fighting League). Initially, the former UFC and Bellator title challenger was set to fight MMA legend and ex-UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Shogun Rua.
The GFL, a new MMA organization, has signed several well-known, veteran fighters, including Urijah Faber, Tony Ferguson, and Yoel Romero, who at 47 years old, remains in impressive physical condition.
However, Romero`s first GFL fight will not be against Shogun Rua.
Instead of Rua, Yoel Romero is now scheduled to fight Gegard Mousasi, a former Bellator middleweight champion. This matchup is arguably a more challenging fight for Romero.
Romero confirmed that the fight with Mousasi will be at middleweight (185lbs), a change from the initially planned light heavyweight bout. Romero`s last fight in the middleweight division was in 2020 against Israel Adesanya at UFC 248.
“Shogun is out. Now, I am moving to middleweight again, and I will fight Gegard Mousasi,” Romero stated in an interview. “It’s on June 22 in New York City.”
Romero explained that his manager informed him of the change, saying Shogun Rua was no longer available and that Mousasi would be the new opponent. Romero accepted the new fight.
Interestingly, Yoel Romero is also scheduled to participate in a “Dirty Boxing” event this weekend against Ras Hylton, just a few months before the Mousasi fight. Dirty Boxing is a promotion where fighters are only allowed to strike with their arms.
Gegard Mousasi recently became a free agent after a disagreement with the PFL following their acquisition of Bellator. Mousasi, a two-time Bellator champion, is coming off two losses to Johnny Eblen and Fabian Edwards.
Mousasi`s last fight was in May 2023. Despite leaving the UFC in 2017, he had a successful run there with a 9-3 record. Throughout his career, Mousasi has notable victories over fighters like Rory Macdonald, Lyoto Machida, and Chris Weidman.
Yoel Romero also has a strong MMA record, with shared opponents with Mousasi such as Thiago Santos, Chris Weidman, and Lyoto Machida.
