After showcasing no interest initially Bellator president Scott Coker eventually gave his nod to sign UFC veteran Yoel Romero. But, has he signed him for only one match?
Upon release from UFC, Yoel Romero explored the free agency for more than 2 weeks and when it looked that all doors are closed for him, he ended up signing a multi-fight deal with UFC’s rival brand Bellator MMA.
However, it turns out initially the president of Bellator Scott Coker was not in favor of bringing Romero on board but, later changed his mind.
In an interview with MMA Junkie, Coker revealed what exactly changed and persuaded him to acquire the services of Yoel Romero.
“Yoel started with us in Strikeforce back in 2008,” Coker said. “Part of me wanted to do it. Part of me didn’t want to do it. After we signed ‘Rumble’ (Johnson), we had the chance to (sign) Yoel. We passed on (him). I’ll tell you, honestly, the amount of support he got coming through our doors and through the social channels really was impressive. Everybody wanted to see the Yoel Romero vs. ‘Rumble’ Johnson fight. I huddled up with my team.
“I’ll tell you one thing in this situation people don’t really realize. Even if we said we were going to pass, we talk to these agents all the time, every day. Yoel’s name kept coming up and coming up. Finally, I just said, ‘You know what? Let’s do it. Let’s just add him into the mix.’”
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Has Coker signed Romero for only one potential match?
The answer to this is apparently a resounding no, as Coker thinks, despite being 43 years old, he still has a lot left in the tank and has a massive fan base eager to see him return.
“He’s an amazing talent. He still is somebody that is very dangerous. He definitely can still fight. I said, ‘Let’s put him in the mix, and let’s just go for it.’ I’m glad we did. I had a little chat with him. It was great. He seems like such a nice guy and very mature. I’m looking forward to putting him into our 205-pound mix sometime next year.”
Romero was ranked 5th in the middleweight division when the departure orders came. In UFC the Soldier of God fought 13 times and has contested for the title a couple of times.
With the title remaining elusive till now, let’s see whether the 43-year-old would experience a change in fortunes at his new playground.
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