Light Heavyweight Bout Featuring Yoel Romero
Against Melvin Manhoef Added to @BELLATORMMA‘s
Return to Paris on May 6https://t.co/OAgR5ViRld— Bellator Public Relations (@BellatorPR)
February 10, 2022
The combined age of this newly announced Bellator MMA co-headliner will be a few days shy of
91.
The organization
released the news of three bouts on Thursday for its
Bellator Paris showcase on May 6 at the Accor Arena in Paris,
with venerable vets taking the stage in the co-main event. While
Ryan
Bader vs. Cheick Kongo
2 – a total of 84 years of age – will claim the marquee spot for
the heavyweight strap, light heavyweights will hit the cage
immediately before them. Yoel Romero
(13-6) will return to the promotion for his sophomore appearance
against the well-traveled Melvin
Manhoef (32-15-1, 2 NC).
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship title challenger
Romero left the UFC on a three-fight skid, with decision losses to
Robert
Whittaker, Paulo Costa
and Israel
Adesanya spelling his release. His debut under the Bellator
banner came in 2021, over 18 months after his last UFC bout, and he
dropped a split decision to Phil Davis
and claimed he was unaware that they were only fighting for three
rounds and not five. “Soldier of God” comes into this 205-pound
rumble with a career knockout rate of 85%.
Manhoef fell short in his last appearance to Corey
Anderson back in late 2020, succumbing to elbows at around the
midpoint of Round 2. That loss cut short a win streak of two in a
row for “No Mercy,” who claimed a rare decision verdict over
Kent
Kauppinen and then knocked Yannick
Bahati out. As a pro, Manhoef’s own win rate by knockout
eclipses his opponent’s, clocking in at 91%. Neither he nor Romero
has ever won a match by submission.
An additional pair of lightweight tilts will round out the main
card, having been announced along with the Romero-Manhoef battle.
Soren
Bak (14-1) will put his seven-fight win streak on the line when
he takes on Saul Rogers
(15-4), while France’s Yves Landu
(16-9) draws a tasty matchup against “Big Tasty” Gavin
Hughes (10-2).