Yoel Romero reacts after booking Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson in first round of Bellator light heavyweight tournament

Yoel Romero is excited to face Anthony Johnson in his Bellator debut.

It was revealed at Bellator’s press conference that both Romero and Johnson would be apart of the grand prix and face one another on April 16. It is a fight the fans wanted to see and Romero is eager for the fight to happen.

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“WAR READY! April 16th @bellatormma #seeyousoonboi,” Romero wrote.

Yoel Romero has not fought since he suffered a decision loss to Israel Adesanya at UFC 248 for the middleweight title. However, both men rarely engaged and left the crowd booing. Before the loss to Adesanya, Romero suffered back-to-back controversial decision losses to Paulo Costa and Robert Whittaker.

The 43-year-old Cuban is just 1-4 in his last five but has been fighting the elite of the middleweight division. Yoel Romero was also expected to fight Uriah Hall in August but he was forced out of that fight due to undisclosed reasons.

Anthony Johnson, meanwhile, has not fought since UFC 210 when he suffered a submission loss to Daniel Cormier for the light heavyweight title. After the fight, “Rumble” announced his retirement from the sport but has hinted at several comebacks and eventually got his release from the UFC and signed with Bellator.

Not only is Yoel Romero vs. Anthony Johnson a fight the fans wanted to see, but it is also a bout both men called for.

“To throw a name out there,” Romero said through his translator during a recent appearance on ESPN. “Right now [this] is pure speculation, but there’s a huge possibility, 90% chance, that [Anthony Johnson] will be the first one to face Yoel Romero [in Bellator].”

Regardless, April 16 is a date many fight fans have circled on their calendars as Yoel Romero vs. Anthony Johnson is a fight many people wanted to see for years.

Who do you think will win the fight between Yoel Romero and Anthony Johnson?