{"title":"Yoel Romero","name":"Yoel Romero","sport":"mma","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Yoel_Romero.jpg","description":"Cuban Olympic wrestler and mixed martial artist (born 1977)","qid":"Q941268","pv":65259,"nickname":"Soldier of God","born":"1977-04-30","died":null,"birthplace":"Pinar del Río, Cuba","iso":"US","country":"ABD","height":178,"reach":185,"stance":null,"division":"Middleweight","divisions":["Light heavyweight","Middleweight"],"team":"American Top Team","org":null,"grap":{"pts":5,"tags":["style:wrestling","comp:wrestling","wrestling"]},"legend":true,"champ":true,"record":{"wins":17,"losses":7,"draws":0,"nc":0,"ko":14,"sub":0,"dec":3,"total":24,"lossesByKo":1,"lossesBySub":0,"lossesByDec":6,"streak":{"type":"W","n":2},"bestStreak":8,"firstFight":"2009-12-20","lastFight":"2026-05-01","firstLossTo":"Rafael Cavalcante","titleFights":3,"titlesWon":0},"otherRecord":{"wins":2,"losses":0,"draws":0,"nc":0,"ko":2,"sub":0,"dec":0,"total":2,"lossesByKo":0,"lossesBySub":0,"lossesByDec":0,"streak":{"type":"W","n":2},"bestStreak":2,"firstFight":"2024-11-23","lastFight":"2025-03-22","firstLossTo":null,"titleFights":0,"titlesWon":0},"fights":[{"result":"W","record":"17–7","opponent":"Alex Nicholson","method":"TKO (submission to punches)","kind":"KO","round":"1","time":"1:11","date":"2026-05-01","event":"Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 10","location":"Miami, Florida, United States","notes":"Bare knuckle MMA.","opponentSlug":"alex-nicholson"},{"result":"W","record":"16–7","opponent":"Thiago Santos","method":"Decision (unanimous)","kind":"DEC","round":"3","time":"5:00","date":"2024-02-24","event":"PFL vs. Bellator","location":"Riyadh, Saudi Arabia","notes":"","opponentSlug":"thiago-santos"},{"result":"L","record":"15–7","opponent":"Vadim Nemkov","method":"Decision (unanimous)","kind":"DEC","round":"5","time":"5:00","date":"2023-06-16","event":"Bellator 297","location":"Chicago, Illinois, United States","notes":"For the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship.","opponentSlug":"vadim-nemkov"},{"result":"W","record":"15–6","opponent":"Melvin Manhoef","method":"KO (elbows)","kind":"KO","round":"3","time":"3:34","date":"2022-09-23","event":"Bellator 285","location":"Dublin, Ireland","notes":"","opponentSlug":"melvin-manhoef"},{"result":"W","record":"14–6","opponent":"Alex Polizzi","method":"TKO (punches)","kind":"KO","round":"3","time":"4:59","date":"2022-05-06","event":"Bellator 280","location":"Paris, France","notes":"","opponentSlug":null},{"result":"L","record":"13–6","opponent":"Phil Davis","method":"Decision (split)","kind":"DEC","round":"3","time":"5:00","date":"2021-09-18","event":"Bellator 266","location":"San Jose, California, United States","notes":"Return to Light Heavyweight.","opponentSlug":"phil-davis"},{"result":"L","record":"13–5","opponent":"Israel Adesanya","method":"Decision (unanimous)","kind":"DEC","round":"5","time":"5:00","date":"2020-03-07","event":"UFC 248","location":"Las Vegas, Nevada, United States","notes":"For the UFC Middleweight Championship.","opponentSlug":"israel-adesanya"},{"result":"L","record":"13–4","opponent":"Paulo Costa","method":"Decision (unanimous)","kind":"DEC","round":"3","time":"5:00","date":"2019-08-17","event":"UFC 241","location":"Anaheim, California, United States","notes":"Fight of the Night.","opponentSlug":"paulo-costa"},{"result":"L","record":"13–3","opponent":"Robert Whittaker","method":"Decision (split)","kind":"DEC","round":"5","time":"5:00","date":"2018-06-09","event":"UFC 225","location":"Chicago, Illinois, United States","notes":"Non-title bout; Romero missed weight (185.2 lb). 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