Bellator and PFL not interested in signing Yoel Romero

The new hottest free agent in the MMA world former two-time undisputed UFC title contender Yoel Romero is not getting chances in other promotions like Bellator and PFL, yet BKFC is very much interested.

Yoel Romero is one of the best fighters in MMA history without a major title to his name. He came close to capturing the UFC title on several occasions, but the strap eluded “Soldier of God.” Now, UFC has released the knockout artist onto the world, pointing to Romero’s recent defeats (that mostly came in title fights!) as the reason for his decline and release.

On Monday, ESPN’s Ariel Helwani told Daniel Cormier in their weekly show that both Bellator and PFL already said no to signing “The Soldier of God.” No specific reasons were given, but both men were under the impression that for Bellator specifically, it was about wanting to branch out from being the organization that takes in former UFC talents.

But as two organizations shut their doors, one opened theirs. For Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship president David Feldman, the 43-year-old Romero would be a perfect fit for his roster of fighters. Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) has deep pockets, based on their $20 million offer to Mike Tyson and supposed multi-million dollar deal with Paige VanZant.

“We are very interested. How could we not be? He has BKFC written all over him,” Feldman told BJPenn.com. “He would be a welcome addition, we will see if we can make it happen.”

There is currently no champion in BKFC in Romero’s weight class, but one has to imagine he’d be the favourite to take that title if Romero moves in that direction. Otherwise, there are still many potential international options if Romero wishes to remain a cage fighter.

Dana White on UFC releasing fighters like Yoel Romero

UFC president Dana White said after UFC Fight Night on Saturday that the company is likely going to cut 60 fighters by the end of 2020. While it’s not unusual for the UFC to cut fighters at the end of the year, 60 is a larger number than normal. White called the cuts “serious” and hinted that some well-known names could be involved.

We’re gonna go through some serious cuts here at the end of the year,” White revealed. “Probably gonna have 60 cuts coming up before the first of the year. And Yoel has lost four of his last five, he’s 44 years old. Our roster is very inflated right now. So we’re gonna have some big cuts coming before the end of the year.”

“You’re gonna see a lot of names going here in the next several weeks.”

“Nothing like that,” White said when asked if there was some sort of USADA violation or something else regarding Romero that played a part in the decision. “We’re just literally starting to go through the list and, you know, he’s 44, has lost four of his last five, and these are the tough decisions you’ve got to make.”

Which other fighter do you guys think UFC will cut?

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