1. Early Life and Background
Yoel Romero was born on April 30, 1977, in Pinar del Río, Cuba. He began training in wrestling in the 1990s, laying the foundation for a distinguished athletic career. His younger brother, Yoan Pablo Hernández, also achieved notable success as a professional boxer, becoming an IBF Cruiserweight Champion. Romero describes himself as a devout Christian and "a man of God," stating that his hero is Jesus Christ. In January 2023, he acquired United States citizenship and currently resides in Miami, Florida, where he trains with American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida.
2. Wrestling Career
Romero had a highly decorated career as a freestyle wrestler for Cuba, competing at the senior level in major international competitions from 1997 to 2005. He is recognized for defeating three Olympic gold medalists and five different world champions during his wrestling tenure, including Americans Cael Sanderson and Les Gutches, whom he defeated multiple times.
2.1. Olympic and World Championship Success
Romero competed in two Summer Olympic Games. At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, he earned a silver medal in the 85 kg freestyle competition, losing to Adam Saitiev of Russia in the finals. He also participated in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, where he finished in fourth place in the 84 kg category.
His success at the World Wrestling Championships is equally notable. He became a world champion in 1999 in Ankara, Turkey, by defeating the 1996 Olympic gold medalist, Khadzhimurad Magomedov of Russia. He also earned silver medals at the 2002 World Championships in Tehran, Iran (84 kg), and the 2005 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary (84 kg). Additionally, he secured bronze medals at the 1998 World Championships in Tehran (85 kg) and the 2001 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria (85 kg). In 2002, he narrowly missed becoming world champion again after a controversial decision against Adam Saitiev, where a passivity penalty and a disputed scoring call in overtime led to his loss.
2.2. Other Wrestling Achievements
Romero achieved significant success in other major wrestling events. He was a three-time winner of the Wrestling World Cup, securing gold medals in Stillwater in 1998 (85 kg), Fairfax in 2000 (85 kg), and Tashkent in 2005 (84 kg). He also earned silver medals in Spokane in 1999 (85 kg) and Baku in 2004 (84 kg), and a bronze medal in Stillwater in 1997 (85 kg).
At the Pan American Games, Romero won a gold medal in the 84 kg category at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo and a bronze medal in the 85 kg category at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg. He was also a five-time Pan American Champion, winning gold in Winnipeg in 1998 (85 kg), Santo Domingo in 2001 (85 kg), Maracaibo in 2002 (84 kg), Guatemala City in 2004 (96 kg), and San Salvador in 2007 (84 kg).
He medaled in five World Championships, with his only non-medal finishes being a fifth-place finish in 1997 and a sixth-place finish in 2003, when he was battling injuries.
2.3. Transition to Mixed Martial Arts
After winning the Grand Prix of Germany in the summer of 2007, Romero did not return to Cuba, choosing instead to remain in Germany. He then joined the Ringer-Bundesliga, a professional wrestling league in Germany where teams compete for titles. Romero competed as a starting member of SV Johannis Nuremberg, also contributing to the team as a coach and trainer. This period marked his gradual transition into mixed martial arts.
3. Mixed Martial Arts Career
Yoel Romero's professional mixed martial arts career began in 2009, following his defection from Cuba. He quickly established himself as a formidable presence, known for his explosive power and wrestling pedigree, leading to significant runs in both the UFC and Bellator.
3.1. Early MMA Career
Romero made his professional mixed martial arts debut in December 2009 in Nuremberg, Germany, after defecting to Germany in 2007. From 2008 to 2011, he trained under Serge Kuftin (combat sambo and MMA coach) and Zike Simic (kickboxing coach) at Peter Althof's "Martial Arts Gym Nürnberg." During this period, Romero built an undefeated record of 5-0 across various promotions in Germany and Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poland.
He won his debut via TKO against Sascha Weinpolter in just 48 seconds of the first round. His second bout saw him secure a 62-second TKO victory over Ricky Pulu. In his third fight, he faced Polish standout Michał Fijałka, winning via TKO in the third round. This win was initially a controversial disqualification due to an illegal knee, but the ruling was later changed. In 2011, he continued his undefeated streak by winning his next three fights via first-round TKO.
In July 2011, Romero signed with Strikeforce and made his promotional debut against Rafael Cavalcante at Strikeforce 36 on September 10, 2011. He suffered his first professional loss in this fight, being knocked out in the second round. A neck injury sustained during this period kept him out of action until 2013.
3.2. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
After Strikeforce was acquired and absorbed by the UFC, Romero transitioned to the organization, making his debut in 2013 and quickly rising through the middleweight ranks.
3.2.1. UFC Debut and Middleweight Rise
Romero made his UFC and middleweight debut on April 20, 2013, at UFC on Fox 7 against Clifford Starks. He secured a spectacular first-round knockout victory with a flying knee followed by punches, earning him "Knockout of the Night" honors.
He was initially scheduled to face Derek Brunson at UFC 164 in August 2013, but Brunson withdrew due to injury. A replacement opponent, Brian Houston, was briefly linked but also pulled out, leading to the bout's cancellation. Romero's second UFC fight took place on November 6, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 31, where he faced Ronny Markes. He won the fight via knockout in the third round.
Romero eventually faced Derek Brunson on January 15, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 35. Despite trailing for two rounds and being taken down multiple times, Romero mounted a comeback in the third round, winning via TKO due to punches and elbows to Brunson's body. Both fighters received "Fight of the Night" bonus awards for their performance. For his fourth UFC fight, Romero defeated Brad Tavares via unanimous decision at UFC on Fox 11 on April 19, 2014.
On September 27, 2014, Romero faced Tim Kennedy at UFC 178. He won the fight via TKO in the third round, handing Kennedy his first stoppage loss in thirteen years. This fight was controversial due to Romero receiving extended recovery time between rounds after being hurt at the end of round two. This was attributed to a UFC Cutman applying too much Vaseline to a cut and the referee allowing Romero to remain seated while the excess was removed. It was also later noted that Kennedy had illegally held Romero's glove during strikes at the end of the second round. The fight earned Romero his second "Fight of the Night" bonus.
3.2.2. Title Contention and Championship Fights
Romero was scheduled to face Ronaldo Souza on February 28, 2015, at UFC 184, but Souza withdrew due to pneumonia. The bout was rescheduled for April 18, 2015, at UFC on Fox 15, but Romero himself was forced out due to a ligament and meniscus tear in his knee.
Romero then headlined his first UFC event on June 27, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 70, against former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida. He knocked out Machida at 1 minute 38 seconds of the third round with a series of elbows from top position, earning a "Performance of the Night" bonus.
The bout with Ronaldo Souza was rescheduled for a third time, finally taking place on December 12, 2015, at UFC 194. Romero won the fight via split decision, though many media outlets scored the bout in favor of Souza.
On November 12, 2016, Romero faced former middleweight champion Chris Weidman at UFC 205. He won the fight via knockout in the third round with a vicious flying knee, earning another "Performance of the Night" bonus. This victory extended his winning streak to eight, positioning him as the next in line for a title shot.
With then-middleweight champion Michael Bisping sidelined, Romero fought Robert Whittaker on July 8, 2017, at UFC 213 for the interim UFC Middleweight Championship. Romero lost the fight by unanimous decision, but the bout was awarded "Fight of the Night."
A rematch with Whittaker was scheduled for June 9, 2018, at UFC 225. However, Romero missed weight, coming in at 186 lb (186 lb) (1 lb (1 lb) over the limit for a title fight). Despite being given additional time, he was pulled by the commission, weighing in at 185.2 lb (185.2 lb), 0.2 lb (0.2 lb) over. Romero, however, complained that he was given two hours to cut the remaining weight after initially missing by 1 pound, but the Illinois State Athletic Commission stopped his weight cut after about an hour, deeming further reduction dangerous, thus preventing him from making the final 0.2 pounds. As a result, the fight proceeded as a non-title catchweight bout, and Romero was fined 20% of his fight purse. Romero lost the close, back-and-forth fight by split decision. The fight was again awarded "Fight of the Night," but due to Romero missing weight, Whittaker received both $50,000 bonuses, totaling 100.00 K USD.
Romero was scheduled to face Paulo Costa on November 3, 2018, at UFC 230, but Romero stated in mid-August that his doctors recommended he wait four to five months for facial injuries to heal. He was then scheduled to face Ronaldo Souza again on April 27, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 150, but Romero pulled out in early April due to illness (pneumonia).
Romero finally faced Paulo Costa on August 17, 2019, at UFC 241. After trailing for the first two rounds, he dominated the third round in what was considered one of the greatest three-round fights in UFC history. He ultimately lost the fight via unanimous decision, but the bout earned him another "Fight of the Night" award.
His next challenge was for the undisputed UFC Middleweight Championship against Israel Adesanya on March 7, 2020, at UFC 248. Romero lost the fight via unanimous decision. The fight was widely criticized by fans and pundits for its low activity and uneventful nature, with neither fighter delivering significant offense.
3.2.3. UFC Awards and Recognition
Yoel Romero received numerous post-fight bonuses and honors during his UFC tenure:
- "Knockout of the Night" (One time) vs. Clifford Starks
- "Performance of the Night" (Two times) vs. Lyoto Machida and Chris Weidman
- "Fight of the Night" (Five times) vs. Derek Brunson, Tim Kennedy, Robert Whittaker (x2), and Paulo Costa
- Tied with Israel Adesanya for the third most post-fight bonuses in UFC Middleweight division history (8).
- Tied with Robert Whittaker for the fifth longest win streak in UFC Middleweight division history (8).
- Tied with Michael Bisping, Derek Brunson, and Chris Leben for the fourth most knockouts in UFC Middleweight division history (7).
- Fourth most knockdowns landed in UFC Middleweight division history (10).
He also received several UFC.com and UFC Honors awards:
- 2013: Ranked #10 Import of the Year (UFC.com)
- 2016: Ranked #10 Knockout of the Year (UFC.com) vs. Chris Weidman
- 2018: Fight of the Year (UFC.com) vs. Robert Whittaker 2; Ranked #6 Knockout of the Year (UFC.com) vs. Luke Rockhold
- 2019: President's Choice Fight of the Year Nominee (UFC Honors) vs. Paulo Costa; Ranked #3 Fight of the Year (UFC.com) vs. Paulo Costa
- 2018: Fight of the Year (MMA DNA.nl)
- 2019: August Fight of the Month (MMAJunkie.com) vs. Paulo Costa
3.2.4. Departure from UFC
On December 4, 2020, Romero announced his departure from the UFC, becoming a free agent. While it is rare for top-ranked fighters to be released, UFC President Dana White stated that Romero had lost four of his last five fights and was 44 years old, adding that the UFC planned to release approximately 60 fighters by the end of the year. Romero later expressed surprise at his release, stating it was "completely unexpected." It was also reported that Romero had declined several fight offers from the UFC against top-ranked opponents, including Uriah Hall, Derek Brunson, and Johnny Walker, expressing a desire to only fight top-3 contenders.
3.3. Bellator MMA Career
On December 14, 2020, Romero signed a multi-fight deal with Bellator MMA, signaling his move to the light heavyweight division.
On February 9, 2021, it was announced that Romero would participate in the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Tournament. He was scheduled to face Anthony Johnson in the quarterfinal round at Bellator 257 on April 16, a bout later moved to Bellator 258 on May 7. However, on April 29, Romero was forced to withdraw from the tournament after failing his medicals due to an eye issue, and was replaced by Jose Augusto.
Romero eventually made his Bellator debut on September 18, 2021, at Bellator 266 against Phil Davis. He lost the bout via split decision.
He was then scheduled to fight Melvin Manhoef on May 6, 2022, at Bellator 280. Manhoef withdrew due to a hand injury sustained while stopping burglars, and Romero instead faced Alex Polizzi. Romero won the bout via TKO in the final seconds of the third round.
The bout against Melvin Manhoef was rescheduled for September 23, 2022, at Bellator 285. Romero won the bout by knockout with ground elbows in the third round, and subsequently called for a title shot.
Romero was scheduled to face Vadim Nemkov for the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship on February 4, 2023, at Bellator 290, but Nemkov withdrew due to an undisclosed reason, and the bout was scrapped.
Romero eventually faced Vadim Nemkov for the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship on June 16, 2023, at Bellator 297. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.
On February 24, 2024, Romero faced Thiago Santos at PFL vs. Bellator. He won the bout by unanimous decision.
On January 16, 2025, it was announced that Romero had left Bellator and signed with the Global Fight League. He is scheduled to face Maurício Rua at a future date and location.
3.4. Other Combat Sports
Outside of his MMA career, Romero has also participated in other combat sports.
He competed in a submission grappling match against future UFC Heavyweight fighter Chris Barnett on June 15, 2019, hosted by Dean Toole Promotions. Despite a weight disadvantage, Romero outwrestled Barnett and submitted him with a kimura at 3 minutes 50 seconds of the match. He was scheduled to compete against Owen Livesey in an openweight match at Polaris 28 on June 15, 2024, but withdrew and was replaced by Baissangour Chamsoudinov.
Romero also competed in Mike Perry's "Dirty Boxing Championship" against Power Slap athlete Duane Crespo on November 23, 2024. He won by first-round knockout.
4. Training
Romero trains in Coconut Creek, Florida, with the American Top Team, with fellow fighters including Robbie Lawler, Thiago Alves, Thiago Silva and Glover Teixeira.
5. Fighting Style
Yoel Romero is primarily a powerful striker who fights out of a southpaw stance, though he occasionally switches to orthodox during bouts. Despite his extensive and highly successful amateur wrestling background, Romero rarely uses his wrestling offensively for takedowns in his professional MMA fights. Instead, his boxing is often considered his strongest skill, with the majority of his victories coming by way of knockout or technical knockout via punches. Many pundits identify Romero's pull-back left-handed counter as his most dangerous strike.
Romero is known for his explosive power and athleticism, often displaying incredible bursts of offense. He has a remarkable ability to absorb punishment and possess surprising resilience, often appearing fatigued during fights but then mounting strong comebacks in later rounds, leading to several come-from-behind victories, particularly against Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa. This physical prowess, combined with his striking, makes him a dangerous opponent.
6. Personal Life and Beliefs
Yoel Romero identifies as a devout Christian and a "man of God," a belief that inspired his nickname, "Soldier of God." He has publicly stated that Jesus Christ is his hero and that his role is to spread God's word to the world.
Romero is married and has one daughter with his wife. He also has two additional daughters and a son residing in Cuba. His younger brother, Yoan Pablo Hernández, is a former professional boxer who held the IBF Cruiserweight Championship.
In January 2023, Romero officially became a U.S. citizen.
Following his victory over Lyoto Machida at UFC Fight Night 70 in 2015, Romero's post-fight interview generated controversy. Many initially interpreted his comments as expressing disagreement with the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage. However, Romero later clarified and apologized, stating that his comments were misunderstood due to his limited English fluency. He explained that he intended to say "No forget Jesus" rather than "No for gay Jesus."
Romero is also noted for his exceptional physical attributes. An ophthalmologist who examined Romero's orbital area after a UFC fight reportedly found that the thickness of his aponeurosis (a type of tendon) was approximately four times that of an average person, leading the doctor to describe him as "the most unusual human being I've ever seen."
7. Controversies and Legal Issues
Throughout his career, Yoel Romero has faced several controversies, including issues with drug testing and weight cutting.
On January 13, 2016, Romero was notified by the USADA of a potential doping violation stemming from an out-of-competition test conducted after his split decision victory over Ronaldo Souza at UFC 194 in December 2015. On February 8, Romero and his manager stated that he had unknowingly consumed a contaminated supplement that contained a banned substance not listed on its label. Both his team and USADA independently tested the supplement, confirming the presence of the banned substance.
Initially, USADA proposed a nine-month suspension, but Romero opted for arbitration, as the typical anti-doping violation suspension is two years. On April 4, 2016, an agreement was reached for a six-month suspension. USADA revealed that Romero had tested positive for ibutamoren, a growth hormone release stimulator. Independent testing of an unopened version of the supplement confirmed that the banned substance was present despite not being listed on the label. The result of the Souza fight was not overturned because the positive test occurred out-of-competition and after the fight; Romero had passed both his pre-fight and fight night tests for that bout.
Romero subsequently pursued legal action against the supplement company. After the company failed to respond, Romero was awarded a default judgment of 27.00 M USD in damages, which included 3.00 M USD for lost wages, 3.00 M USD for reputational harm, and 3.00 M USD for emotional damage. These amounts were tripled under the New Jersey "Consumer Fraud Act" due to the company being found to have committed consumer fraud. However, in mid-2021, the New Jersey Superior Court reduced the damage awards for lost wages and emotional stress to a total of 12.45 M USD. The amount for reputational damages was slated to be decided in a separate trial.
Romero also faced significant weight-cutting issues during his UFC career, particularly in title contention bouts. At UFC 221 in February 2018, where he was scheduled to fight Luke Rockhold for the interim UFC Middleweight Championship, Romero initially weighed in at 188.3 lb (188.3 lb), 3.3 lb (3.3 lb) over the middleweight limit. Although given two hours to cut the remaining weight, he failed to make 185 lb (185 lb), coming in at 187.7 lb (187.7 lb). Consequently, he was ineligible to win the interim championship, and was fined 30% of his purse, which was awarded to Rockhold.
A similar issue occurred in his rematch against Robert Whittaker at UFC 225 in June 2018. Romero missed weight again, initially weighing 186 lb (186 lb), 1 lb (1 lb) over the championship limit. Despite being given additional time, the commission intervened and stopped his weight cut, with Romero weighing in at 185.2 lb (185.2 lb), just 0.2 lb (0.2 lb) over. As a result, the fight proceeded as a non-title catchweight bout, and Romero was fined 20% of his fight purse.
8. Championships and Accomplishments
Yoel Romero has achieved significant accolades in both freestyle wrestling and mixed martial arts.
8.1. Mixed martial arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Knockout of the Night (One time) vs. Clifford Starks
- Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. Lyoto Machida and Chris Weidman
- Fight of the Night (Five times) vs. Derek Brunson, Tim Kennedy, Robert Whittaker (x2), and Paulo Costa
- Tied with Israel Adesanya for the third most Post-Fight bonuses in UFC Middleweight division history (8).
- Tied with Robert Whittaker for the fifth longest win streak in UFC Middleweight division history (8).
- Tied with Michael Bisping, Derek Brunson, and Chris Leben for the fourth most knockouts in UFC Middleweight division history (7).
- Fourth most knockdowns landed in UFC Middleweight division history (10).
- UFC Honors Awards
- 2019: President's Choice Fight of the Year Nominee vs. Paulo Costa
- UFC.com Awards
- 2013: Ranked #10 Import of the Year
- 2016: Ranked #10 Knockout of the Year vs. Chris Weidman
- 2018: Fight of the Year vs. Robert Whittaker 2; Ranked #6 Knockout of the Year vs. Luke Rockhold
- 2019: Ranked #3 Fight of the Year vs. Paulo Costa
- MMA DNA.nl
- 2018 Fight of the Year.
- MMAJunkie.com
- 2019 August Fight of the Month vs. Paulo Costa
8.2. Freestyle wrestling
- Olympic Games
- Silver Medalist: 2000 Summer Olympics (85 kg)
- World Championships
- Gold Medalist: 1999 Ankara (85 kg)
- Silver Medalist: 2002 Tehran (84 kg), 2005 Budapest (84 kg)
- Bronze Medalist: 1998 Tehran (85 kg), 2001 Sofia (85 kg)
- World Cup
- Gold Medalist: 1998 Stillwater (85 kg), 2000 Fairfax (85 kg), 2005 Tashkent (84 kg)
- Silver Medalist: 1999 Spokane (85 kg), 2004 Baku (84 kg)
- Bronze Medalist: 1997 Stillwater (85 kg)
- Pan American Games
- Gold Medalist: 2003 Santo Domingo (84 kg)
- Bronze Medalist: 1999 Winnipeg (85 kg)
- Pan American Championships
- Gold Medalist: 1998 Winnipeg (85 kg), 2001 Santo Domingo (85 kg), 2002 Maracaibo (84 kg), 2004 Guatemala City (96 kg), 2007 San Salvador (84 kg)
9. Career Records
9.1. Mixed martial arts record
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 16-7 | Thiago Santos | Decision (unanimous) | PFL vs. Bellator | February 24, 2024 | 3 | 5:00 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | |
| Loss | 15-7 | Vadim Nemkov | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 297 | June 16, 2023 | 5 | 5:00 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | For the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship. |
| Win | 15-6 | Melvin Manhoef | KO (elbows) | Bellator 285 | September 23, 2022 | 3 | 3:34 | Dublin, Ireland | |
| Win | 14-6 | Alex Polizzi | TKO (punches) | Bellator 280 | May 6, 2022 | 3 | 4:59 | Paris, France | |
| Loss | 13-6 | Phil Davis | Decision (split) | Bellator 266 | September 18, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | San Jose, California, United States | Return to Light Heavyweight. |
| Loss | 13-5 | Israel Adesanya | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 248 | March 7, 2020 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | For the UFC Middleweight Championship. |
| Loss | 13-4 | Paulo Costa | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 241 | August 17, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Anaheim, California, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Loss | 13-3 | Robert Whittaker | Decision (split) | UFC 225 | June 9, 2018 | 5 | 5:00 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | Non-title bout; Romero missed weight (185.2 lb (185.2 lb)). Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 13-2 | Luke Rockhold | KO (punches) | UFC 221 | February 11, 2018 | 3 | 1:48 | Perth, Australia | For the interim UFC Middleweight Championship. Romero missed weight (187.7 lb (187.7 lb)) and was ineligible for the title. |
| Loss | 12-2 | Robert Whittaker | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 213 | July 8, 2017 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | For the interim UFC Middleweight Championship. Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 12-1 | Chris Weidman | KO (flying knee) | UFC 205 | November 12, 2016 | 3 | 0:24 | New York City, New York, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 11-1 | Ronaldo Souza | Decision (split) | UFC 194 | December 12, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 10-1 | Lyoto Machida | KO (elbows) | UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Romero | June 27, 2015 | 3 | 1:38 | Hollywood, Florida, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 9-1 | Tim Kennedy | TKO (punches) | UFC 178 | September 27, 2014 | 3 | 0:58 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 8-1 | Brad Tavares | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Werdum vs. Browne | April 19, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Orlando, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 7-1 | Derek Brunson | TKO (punches and elbows) | UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Philippou | January 15, 2014 | 3 | 3:23 | Duluth, Georgia, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 6-1 | Ronny Markes | KO (punches) | UFC: Fight for the Troops 3 | November 6, 2013 | 3 | 1:39 | Fort Campbell, Kentucky, United States | |
| Win | 5-1 | Clifford Starks | KO (flying knee and punches) | UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Melendez | April 20, 2013 | 1 | 1:32 | San Jose, California, United States | Middleweight debut. Knockout of the Night. |
| Loss | 4-1 | Rafael Cavalcante | KO (punches) | Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov | September 10, 2011 | 2 | 4:51 | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States | |
| Win | 4-0 | Laszlo Eck | KO (punch) | Fight of the Night 2011 | May 27, 2011 | 1 | 0:33 | Greding, Germany | |
| Win | 3-0 | Ņikita Petrovs | TKO (retirement) | Superior FC 4 | March 5, 2011 | 1 | 2:58 | Giessen, Germany | |
| Win | 2-0 | Michał Fijałka | TKO (retirement) | Infinite Fighting Federation: The Eternal Struggle | October 8, 2010 | 3 | 4:05 | Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poland | |
| Win | 1-0 | Sascha Weinpolter | TKO (punches) | Fight of the Night 2009 | December 20, 2009 | 1 | 0:48 | Nuremberg, Germany | Light Heavyweight debut. |
9.2. Freestyle wrestling record
| World Championships & Olympic Games Matches | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Score | Date | Event | Location |
| 2005 World Wrestling Championships - at 84kg | ||||||
| Loss | 33-11 | რევაზ მინდორაშვილიRevaz MindorashviliGeorgian | 0-1, 1-1, 0-5 | September 26 - October 2, 2005 | 2005 World Wrestling Championships | Budapest, Hungary |
| Win | 33-10 | Тарас ДанькоTaras DankoUkrainian | 3-1, 1-0 | |||
| Win | 32-10 | Саслан ГацыеўSoslan GattsievBelarusian | 1-0, 2-0 | |||
| Win | 31-10 | Radosław HorbikRadosław HorbikPolish | 1-0, 2-0 | |||
| Win | 30-10 | Abraham Vasallo | 4-0, 3-0 | |||
| 2004 Olympics 4th at 84kg | ||||||
| Loss | 29-10 | Сажид СажидовSazhid SazhidovRussian | 3-5 | August 27-28, 2004 | 2004 Summer Olympics | Athens, Greece |
| Loss | 29-9 | Cael Sanderson | 2-3 | |||
| Win | 29-8 | Λάζαρος ΛοιζίδηςLazaros LoizidisGreek, Modern | 3-1 | |||
| Win | 28-8 | Davyd BichinashviliDavyd BichinashviliGerman | 3-0 | |||
| Win | 27-8 | Jeffrey Cobb | Tech. Fall | |||
| 2003 World Championships 6th at 84kg | ||||||
| Loss | 26-8 | Сажид СажидовSazhid SazhidovRussian | 0-3 | September 12-14, 2003 | 2003 World Wrestling Championships | New York City, New York |
| Loss | 26-7 | Магомед ИбрагимовMogamed IbragimovMacedonian | 0-3 | |||
| Win | 26-6 | Thomas Bucheli | 9-0 | |||
| Win | 25-6 | Marcin JureckiMarcin JureckiPolish | 6-5 | |||
| 2002 World Championships - at 84kg | ||||||
| Loss | 24-6 | Адам СайтиевAdam SaitievRussian | 3-4 | September 5-6, 2002 | 2002 World Wrestling Championships | Tehran, Iran |
| Win | 24-5 | مجید خداییMajid KhodaeiPersian | 3-0 | |||
| Win | 23-5 | რევაზ მინდორაშვილიRevaz MindorashviliGeorgian | 3-2 | |||
| Win | 22-5 | Katsutoshi Senba | Fall | |||
| Win | 21-5 | Gabor Kapuvari | 4-0 | |||
| 2001 World Championships - at 85kg | ||||||
| Win | 20-5 | Бейбулат МусаевBeibulat MusaevBelarusian | 3-0 | November 23-25, 2001 | 2001 World Wrestling Championships | Sofia, Bulgaria |
| Loss | 19-5 | Хаджимурад МагомедовKhadzhimurad MagomedovRussian | 1-3 | |||
| Win | 19-4 | Andre Backhaus | 5-0 | |||
| Win | 18-4 | Marcin JureckiMarcin JureckiPolish | 4-1 | |||
| Win | 17-4 | Մահմեդ ԱղաևMahmed AghaevArmenian | 5-0 | |||
| 2000 Olympics - at 85kg | ||||||
| Loss | 16-4 | Адам СайтиевAdam SaitievRussian | Fall | September 29 - October 1, 2000 | 2000 Summer Olympics | Sydney, Australia |
| Win | 16-3 | امیررضا خادمAmir Reza KhademPersian | 3-0 | |||
| Win | 15-3 | Justin Abdou | 8-0 | |||
| Win | 14-3 | Igors SamušonoksIgors SamušonoksLatvian | 3-0 | |||
| Win | 13-3 | Магомед КуруглиевMagomed KurugliyevKazakh | 4-0 | |||
| 1999 World Championships - at 85kg | ||||||
| Win | 12-3 | Хаджимурад МагомедовKhadzhimurad MagomedovRussian | 4-2 | October 8-10, 1999 | 1999 World Wrestling Championships | Ankara, Turkey |
| Win | 11-3 | Ali Oezen | 3-2 | |||
| Win | 10-3 | Магомед КуруглиевMagomed KurugliyevKazakh | 3-0 | |||
| Win | 9-3 | Vitali Gizoev | 7-0 | |||
| Win | 8-3 | Andre Backhaus | 8-4 | |||
| Win | 7-3 | Abbas Majidi | 4-0 | |||
| 1998 World Championships - at 85kg | ||||||
| Win | 6-3 | Хаджимурад МагомедовKhadzhimurad MagomedovRussian | 3-2 | September 9-11, 1998 | 1998 World Wrestling Championships | Tehran, Iran |
| Win | 5-3 | Michal Stanislawski | 5-1 | |||
| Loss | 4-3 | علیرضا حیدریAlireza HeidariPersian | 1-2 | |||
| Win | 4-2 | Gabor Kapuvari | 5-0 | |||
| Win | 3-2 | Пламен ПаскалевPlamen PaskalevBulgarian | 5-0 | |||
| 1997 World Championships 5th at 85kg | ||||||
| Loss | 2-2 | Сослан ФраевSoslan FraevUzbek | 1-3 | August 29-31, 1997 | 1997 World Wrestling Championships | Krasnoyarsk, Russia |
| Loss | 2-1 | Ельдар АсановEldar AssanovUkrainian | 1-3 | |||
| Win | 2-0 | Igors SamušonoksIgors SamušonoksLatvian | 3-1 | |||
| Win | 1-0 | Gari Modosyan | 4-0 | |||
9.3. Submission grappling record
| 1 Match, 1 Win, 0 Losses, 0 Draws | |||||||
| Result | Rec. | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Division | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1-0 | Chris Barnett | Submission (Kimura) | Dean Toole Promotions | June 15, 2019 | Openweight | Pensacola, Florida |
9.4. Dirty boxing record
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1-0 | Duane Crespo | KO (punches) | Dirty Boxing Championship 1 | November 23, 2024 | 1 | N/A | Miami, Florida, United States |
10. Pay-per-view bouts
| No. | Event | Fight | Date | Venue | City | PPV buys |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | UFC 213 | Romero vs. Whittaker | July 8, 2017 | T-Mobile Arena | Paradise, Nevada, United States | 150,000 |
| 2. | UFC 221 | Romero vs. Rockhold | February 11, 2018 | Perth Arena | Perth, Australia | 130,000 |
| 3. | UFC 225 | Whittaker vs. Romero 2 | June 9, 2018 | United Center | Chicago, Illinois, United States | 250,000 |
| 4. | UFC 248 | Adesanya vs. Romero | March 7, 2020 | T-Mobile Arena | Paradise, Nevada, United States | Not Disclosed |