Yoel Romero vs Robert Whittaker is an epic in the making.
International fight week is well underway and that can only means that this weekend will be jam packed with some quality match ups. Perhaps the one fight that most peaks my interest is the middleweight interim title fight between Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker. Both these fighters have proven themselves to be some of the most devastating fighters in the division’s history and that’s saying a lot when you consider names like Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson, Luke Rockhold, and champion Michael Bisping just to name a few. So what does each man do well and what exactly should they do to win this fight?
Yoel Romero is a freak athlete, there’s absolutely nothing denying that fact. He has proven himself to be a terrifying threat both on the feet and on the ground. His striking game may be the weaker part of his style, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t effective. Rather than having a crisp and clean Muay Thai striking game, Romero has much more of an unorthodox style, a hybrid mix of boxing, Muay Thai, and even a little bit of karate thrown in for good measure. He tends to bounce a whole lot before rocketing himself at his opponents which usually catches them off guard.
Rather than engage in a striking match on the feet, it makes more sense for Yoel Romero to use the skills that make him so feared in the division in the first place. His wrestling ability is absolutely frightening and he knows how to mix things up well. Where Whittaker implements more of a striking based attack, Romero has the option to both strike and wrestle all at once. He’d be smart to use controlled bursts throughout the fight while standing. Feints, jabs, and heavy kicks will mask his entries when he does decide to close the distance and take the fight to the ground.
For Robert Whittaker this match is all about distancing, as are most fights and this is something the young Australian fighter knows well. In most every fight that features “The Reaper” you’ll see stellar movement, slipping in and out of range as he dances effortlessly around the octagon. While he does have a bouncing movement, it’s far more subtle and practiced than Romero’s. Where Romero has more of a hopping bounce to his footwork, for Whittaker does is more similar to ice skating across the mat. Something else that Robert Whittaker does so well to keep distance is using his stinging jab to stiffle his opponent’s offense.
For this particular fight Robert Whittaker is going to have to be on his A game. While utilizing the jab is obviously a tool he’ll need to slow down Romero’s forward pressure, his counter hook is certainly going to have to be a major weapon. Attacking the body as well as utilizing the straight cross will be a big tool for success in this fight. But even more than the type of strikes that Whittaker chooses to throw it’s certainly the how that will determine whether he gets the win against Romero or gets flight lined like so many others before him. Using rhythm changes and breaking rhythm is key to thwarting Romero’s explosive speed. Whittaker needs to get Romero to react by feinting a strike, pull out, then reengage once Romero enters into the danger zone.
Who do you think wins the interim middleweight title fight this Saturday?
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Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
