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Yoel Romero may have had a rough time on Friday, but his Saturday was as good as it gets.
Romero scored one of the year’s nastiest knockouts, demolishing Luke Rockhold via third-round stoppage in the main event of UFC 221 to win what was supposed to be an interim middleweight title fight at the Perth Arena in Perth, Australia. Because of Romero’s failure to make weight, he was unable to claim the interim strap, so it’s anyone’s best guess where the middleweight division goes from here. But that didn’t stop the pros from tuning in to what became a violent affair between two of the best in the world.
Check out reaction to Romero vs. Rockhold below, plus the best of the rest from UFC 221.
YOEL ROMERO DEF. LUKE ROCKHOLD
FML!
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) February 11, 2018
That uppercut
— Lando Vannata (@GroovyLando) February 11, 2018
HOLY S*** .@YoelRomeroMMA came with the uppercut that knocked him back to the 5th grade. #UFC221
— Andrew Holbrook (@AndrewHolbrook) February 11, 2018
Amazing KO Soldier of God @YoelRomeroMMA absolute beast! #UFC221 #UFCperth #ATT pic.twitter.com/tiLJ3SYz9v
— Charles Rosa (@CharlesRosaMMA) February 11, 2018
Oh my god he can’t walk, holy shit #UFC221
— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) February 11, 2018
FUCK
— Manny Gamburyan (@MannyGamburyan) February 11, 2018
Woah!! but what happens to the division now?! #ufc221
— Shane Burgos (@HurricaneShaneB) February 11, 2018
Them temple shots are no joke! Romero with the win, but that fog of not making weight still looms over this. #UFC221
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMaster_UFC) February 11, 2018
See, cheaters do win... :( #UFC221
— The Spartan (@EliasTheodorou) February 11, 2018
Fuck you @LukeRockhold bad person.
— Antonio Pezao Silva (@BigfootSilva) February 11, 2018
The ego of Rockhold just die #ufc221
— patrick cote (@patrick_cote) February 11, 2018
Man! Romero pulls it off
— Tatiana Suarez (@TSPMMA115) February 11, 2018
Romero vs Whittaker 2 is what makes the most sense but just feels so weird with Romero missing weight and not winning the interim title tonight.. who doesn’t wanna see that one again tho?! #ufc221
— Shane Burgos (@HurricaneShaneB) February 11, 2018
Well ...congrats to Yoel. Can’t wait to get back out there. #UFC221
— Chris Weidman (@ChrisWeidmanUFC) February 11, 2018
That was scary! @YoelRomeroMMA congrats!!!!! @ufc
— Paige VanZant (@PaigeVanzantUFC) February 11, 2018
@YoelRomeroMMA pic.twitter.com/QHMhnmFo7h
— Antonio Pezao Silva (@BigfootSilva) February 11, 2018
⚖️ wins the main event at #UFC221. ⚖️ now holds the interim belt.
— Ian McCall (@Unclecreepymma) February 11, 2018
This leaves an opening for Whittaker to fight gastlem
— Belal muhammad (@bullyb170) February 11, 2018
You are tooo religious bro, you’re covering for something
— Alexander Jay (@ALIAQUINTA) February 11, 2018
CURTIS BLAYDES DEF. MARK HUNT
Nothing makes me yell profanities at my tv more than Hunto getting taken down. #ufc221
— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) February 11, 2018
Damn. @RazorBlaydes265 has a fucking chin
— Lando Vannata (@GroovyLando) February 11, 2018
Atomic butt drop reference #PrideNeverDie
— Alexander Jay (@ALIAQUINTA) February 11, 2018
Blaydes is a smart man because that famous walk-off looked like it was coming to the Ozzie’s!! #UFC221
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMaster_UFC) February 11, 2018
Man so hard watching a prospect you want to see do well fight a legend you’ve always looked up to. #UFC221
— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) February 11, 2018
Blaydes showed a lot of heart and an incredible chin to survive in the first round. Great win for him. #ufc221
— Matheus Nicolau (@NicolauMatheus) February 11, 2018
Blades used his wrestling perfectly. Congrats. Big win
— Dan Henderson (@danhendo) February 11, 2018
"Suplex city, bitch." #ufc221 pic.twitter.com/HFS22HHu1I
— The Spartan (@EliasTheodorou) February 11, 2018
Good win congrats @razorblaydes265 big future! #bellyrubapprove @ricosproducts @monsterenergy @sobarecovery @coppergel pic.twitter.com/MFrGydF8QM
— Roy Nelson (@roynelsonmma) February 11, 2018
I’m amazed at Blaydes’ ability to adjust after the damage he took in the first round! When fighters fight smart there’s always a little bit of this in me tho. #UFC221 pic.twitter.com/1FoYzAbNgh
— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) February 11, 2018
TAI TUIVASA DEF. CYRIL ASKER
This dude looks like a blacksmith from an RPG. “Hello I am Cyril of Ironguard, do you have items to trade?” “Yes. Show me your wares.” #UFC221 pic.twitter.com/Rwr6BqX7VP
— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) February 11, 2018
Fucking savage @bambamtuivasa ❤️ #ufc221
— Bec Rawlings (@RowdyBec) February 11, 2018
Wtf is keeping Asker up?? #UFC221
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMaster_UFC) February 11, 2018
Man that’s an exciting heavyweight right there BAM BAM!!!! #UFCPerth
— Belal muhammad (@bullyb170) February 11, 2018
Faceplant by Asker ends it. #ufc221 pic.twitter.com/J9hdlrO8lH
— The Spartan (@EliasTheodorou) February 11, 2018
Damnnnnnnnnnn @ufc
— Manny Gamburyan (@MannyGamburyan) February 11, 2018
DAMN.
— Ian McCall (@Unclecreepymma) February 11, 2018
Damn that was violent.. love @bambamtuivasa style! #ufc221
— Shane Burgos (@HurricaneShaneB) February 11, 2018
.@bambamtuivasa DAAAMMMMNNNN came with the sledge hammers. #UFC221
— Andrew Holbrook (@AndrewHolbrook) February 11, 2018
Tuivasa doing a shoey after he wins.... I’m now a fan
— Alexander Jay (@ALIAQUINTA) February 11, 2018
JAKE MATTHEWS DEF. LI JINGLIANG
Leech should have been DQ'd. That was despicable. #ufc221
— The Spartan (@EliasTheodorou) February 11, 2018
Ain’t cheating ain’t trying
— Alexander Jay (@ALIAQUINTA) February 11, 2018
Jingliang with the guillotine defense #UFCPerth #ufc221
— AlexSpartanNicholson (@spartanlife32) February 11, 2018
Wow! That replay of Jingliang eye gouging his way out of Mathews guillotine was painful to watch.. u have to take a fuckin point for that
— Shane Burgos (@HurricaneShaneB) February 11, 2018
Sometimes i wish i was an “ain’t cheating ain’t trying” kinda person
— Alexander Jay (@ALIAQUINTA) February 11, 2018
Matthews should take this win tonight. I think it’s the best he’s ever mixed up against a Very TUF and hardhitter like Jingliang #ufc221
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMaster_UFC) February 11, 2018
This fight right now is amazing !!! #ufc221
— Chris Weidman (@ChrisWeidmanUFC) February 11, 2018
What a fucking fight! Like the final scene in an action movie https://t.co/y2XUF2OBVO
— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) February 11, 2018
Congratulations. @JakeMatthewsUFC hell of a fight. Very deserving win. #UFC221
— Andrew Holbrook (@AndrewHolbrook) February 11, 2018
TYSON PEDRO DEF. SAPARBEK SAFAROV
Beautiful Submission!! Great Kimura
— GILBERT BURNS (@GilbertDurinho) February 11, 2018
OMG!! TAP already!!!
— Sam Alvey (@smilensam) February 11, 2018
Sakuraba would be proud. :) #prideneverdie #ufc221 https://t.co/QAxj2tZSHL
— The Spartan (@EliasTheodorou) February 11, 2018
That was vicious! @Ufc
— James Vick (@JamesVickMMA) February 11, 2018
Beautiful kimura by Pedro! #ufc221
— Shane Burgos (@HurricaneShaneB) February 11, 2018
Not a bad start to a PPV
— Ian McCall (@Unclecreepymma) February 11, 2018
Poll
Whose performance stood out the most at UFC 221?
This poll is closed
-
54%
Yoel Romero def. Luke Rockhold
(1790 votes) -
6%
Curtis Blaydes def. Mark Hunt
(204 votes) -
19%
Tai Tuivasa def. Cyril Asker
(640 votes) -
8%
Jake Matthews def. Li Jingliang
(293 votes) -
10%
Tyson Pedro def. Saparbek Safarov
(333 votes)
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