In the spirit of sportsmanship, I want to say that I am not for trash talk. But some of the characters in the UFC have made it a science. Trash talk goes against the humble nature that is supposed to be instilled in martial artists, but MMA fighters are more athlete than martial artist in regards to fighting in professional shows. Yes, martial arts is the basis for their training when they begin but when they become professionals, they become part of what entertains us all. Professional sports is prevalent with trash talk in every sport. Roberto Duran was famous, after him was Mike Tyson… combat sports have always had their colorful monologues aimed at demoralizing an opponent.
The reason I bring this up isn’t to talk about one of my favorite fighters, Conor McGregor who in my opinion is one of the wittiest trash talkers in the fight game, but Yoel Romero. Not known for being the type of fighter who talks badly about his opponents is what makes this interesting as well. Although Yoel Romero hasn’t been known for his trash talk, but he’s upping his game for a fight with the current middleweight champion Michael Bisping later this year. The Cuban-born Olympic silver medalist in wrestling was confirmed as Bisping’s next opponent, but he’s currently waiting for the champion to heal from a minor knee surgery he recently had. In anticipation of their championship showdown, Romero really did go and make a GoFundMe page to help pay for the medical expenses that Bisping will incur as a result of their fight. I thought it was pretty funny.
Yoel is quoted as saying “This is Mike, he will be needing money to survive after me and him meet in the Octagon approximately May of 2017, he is happy in this picture after defending his title against another fighter and the devastation he went through has caused him to have surgery on his knee where all the visible damage was on his face.” This is from his gofundme page. “This surgery has prevented him from competing in a timely manner. After his fight with me, I am convinced he will need this money to rebuild his life, he has a family and I am deeply concerned for him. Please help any way that you can as all funds will be used for medical expenses and his retirement party. Thank you for your time and #ynuevo.”
Romero’s post is after Bisping started an attack where he put Yoel’s business out there for cheating after he tested positive for a banned substance last year. Ultimately, Romero was found to be a victim of a tainted supplement and USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) suspended him six months as opposed to a potential two-year sanction if he was found at fault. Either way, Bisping has been aiming at Romero’s drug testing history while the number one challenger is saying that the champ may never fight again after he’s done with him. I want to see this one. Bisping has found ways to beat big, fast, strong opponents in the past. He has proven his toughness and to sit at the top of any division in the UFC is an amazing feat in itself.