From zero to hero

It’s safe to say that Yoel Romero wasn’t the most liked star coming out of UFC 194. With a series of blunders including, “Seat gate” with Tim Kennedy, and “no for gay Jesus”, he’s been the talk of the town, but not in a good way. When it came out that Yoel Romero had tested positive for a banned substance, the MMA haters came out of the woodwork. Everyone from Michael Bisping, to middleweight champion Luke Rockhold blasted Romero for “cheating” using strong words to show their un-appreciation. This was all before the details came out as to what exactly happened. Yoel maintained his innocence all the way through, saying his supplement was tainted with a substance that was not labelled. With USADA (United State Anti-Doping Agency) cracking down like gangbusters on banned supplements, Yoel Romero was facing a fairly lenient suspension of 9 months. Yoel Romero refused the sentences, insisting he did nothing wrong, and became the FIRST fighter to appeal the decision, with a possible 2 year suspension if things didn’t go his way. It looks like his gamble payed off. It was announced earlier today that Yoel Romero won his appeal and will be free to fight after a reduced 6 months suspension, making him eligible to fight as soon as late July/August. Yoel Romero put out a statement on the MMA hour thanking the fans that stood beside him and promising those dragging his name through the mud he would “see them soon…#andnew”. With the big bad USADA showing a chink in their armor what does this mean for future appeals in the sport? Personally, I think this win is a good thing. While I understand what USADA is trying to do for the sport, ultimately everyone is innocent until proven guilty and every situation is different. This shows that they’re willing to listen to a reasonable argument and put in the due process to get the verdict right. It seems tough, but fair. With Yoel Romero going down in history for opening up the floodgates, this should put him back in the good graces of the UFC. Will this get him back his title shot? Yoel Romero will be taking legal action against the supplement company. Will Yoel Romero be welcomed back with open arms? or will it be more of the same?