Rio Romero Biography

Born on April 30 in the city of Pinar del Rio in the west of Cuba. A spectacular fighter, Pancher, almost a bodybuilder who repeatedly took the bonuses for the “best battle” in the UFC and fought four times in the main duel of the license plate of this promotion. For lovers of Romero, he collected a rich crop of medals and prizes below only the main achievements in freestyle wrestling are listed; Many 2nd and 3rd places are omitted:-the silver medalist of the Olympic Games; - world champion; - The owner of the World Cup,,,; - Champion of Panmerican Games; -The gold medalist of the Panmerican championship,, having stared at the German Grand Prix in the summer of the year, Romero did not return to his homeland, escaping from the location of the national team as dozens of other fans from Cuba did before him.

For some time he worked as a performance in the professional wrestling league of Ringer-Bundesliga, and under the curtain of the season he debuted in Profi-mma. Joel Romero: The Cuban spent the first four fighting career in Germany and Poland, but in the USA he made his debut unsuccessfully: in September, he “lit up” at the StrikeForce tournament, but in a peculiar way-was scored in the 2nd round of the former promotion champion Raphael Cavalcanta.

The neck of the neck knocked out Romero from the rut until April, when he debuted in the UFC. The Cuban dried up and at the beginning of the first battle in the middle weight arranged the “Best Knock Show” Clifford Starksu. In September, the colorful Tim Kennedy almost stopped Joel at the end of the 2nd round, but after the scandalous “protracted” break between the rounds, he recovered and scored an American in the 3rd.

The next trauma now the knee led to the fact that the Cuban was released only at the end of June and with his elbows finished the ex-UFC champion Lyoto Machida in the 3rd round. Joel failed to close the season: on the UFC, he only with the help of judges a separate decision passed the Brazilian Grappler "Jacquar" Souzu. Again a protracted break for 11 months: now because of doping.

In November, on the UFC, Kubinsky Pancher fought with ex-champion Chris Widman and beautifully cut him out at the beginning of the 3rd round. After the battle, Romero was called the applicant for the title. Due to the fact that the owner of the belt Michael Bisping was outside the game on the injury, the “temporary” title on July 8 at the UFC was played between Joel and Robert Wittaker.

A wonderful spectacular battle ended in the victory of the American. This was the first in a series of top -end lesions of Joel Romero. After a meeting with Wittaker, he held four more fights - and lost all the decisions of the judges in three. Whittaker was supposed to fight with Luke Rockhold, but was injured. Romero gave a second chance, but he failed the weighing and, although he knocked out the American in the 3rd round, did not receive the “temporary” championship.

The revenge with the Whittaker was made at all. After a great fight, Romero lost in a separate solution, and even drew more than a year due to injuries. It turned out another spectacular battle: Romero was inferior in the course of two rounds, and then powerfully pushed and almost pressed the Brazilian Avenue in the final 3rd. Lost unanimously. Another attempt by a veteran from Cuba to cling to the UFC belt went out sluggish: the soldiers performed without a light and almost “left the number”.

Romero lost unanimously and in December announced that he was no longer connected by contract ties with the UFC, but was moving to Bellator. The debut in the promotion failed - Joel lost on the points of Phil Davis.

But later he “pulled himself together” and for a year wrote down two early victories over Alex Politszi and Melvin Manhuf. Joel Romero: The last battle on June 17, in the main event, Bellator entered the cage against the current champion of promotion in the weight of Russian Vadim Nemkov and was defeated by points. Joel Romero: Next fight.