Israel Adesanya has made it clear that he wants to fight Yoel Romero next after his original opponent Paulo Costa pulled out due to an injury, but Dana White isn’t quite ready to green-light that title fight just yet.
“The fight [with Romero] is already said and done,” Adesanya had claimed recently on Sirius XM. “No one asked to fight Yoel. I said I want to fight the baddest (expletive) in there. So we called him out even though he’s on a two-fight losing streak. He’s lost three of his last four. For the stark, it’s not just not good for business. I’m a charitable guy and I think he’s a beast. Regardless of records. (Expletive) records. He’s a bad (expletive).
“And all of the casuals keep thinking this is the guy. They said, ‘Kelvin: This is the guy who’s going to (expletive) him up. This is the guy.’ My ass didn’t hit the ground once in that fight. And then Robert. ‘Oh, Robert’s coming off a fresh layoff. This is the guy. He’s going to starch him.’ I did what I did and now the next one. ‘Oh, Paulo Costa. Borrachinha. He’s the one.’ And then he’s got his bicep injured or something.”
However, despite Adesanya’s confidence that the fight will happen, White has indicated that ‘The Soldier Of God’ would have to get a win under his belt first before getting another title shot.
“(Adesanya) wants to fight Yoel Romero,” White told Adam Glyn. “He wants Romero. We’re talking about giving Romero a fight coming up soon here and then (Adesanya) will fight the winner of that one.”
As yet there’s no word on who Romero would face, but clearly it would have to be a notable contender given that a title shot could be on the line for the winner, with the current No.4 ranked Jared Cannonier or possibly new No.5 arrival Darren Till likely to be under consideration.
