Yoel Romero turned Chris Weidman’s dream of fighting in his home city into a horrific nightmare with one giant leap.
The Soldier of God silenced the crowd inside the iconic Madison Square Garden at UFC 205 as he annihilated the former middleweight champion in devastating fashion.
Weidman may have edged the first round with his striking, but it became clear that his wrestling was no match for the Olympic silver medalist as he struggled with his takedown attempts.
The tide began to turn in the second when the Cuban scored two huge takedowns in quick succession before punishing him with some nasty punches from the top position.
Romero sealed the win with a vicious flying knee in the third round that instantly shut his opponent’s lights out. The referee inexplicably let the fight continue to allow Romero to land a couple of more strikes on Weidman who was clearly out and gushing blood from his forehead.
What a finish! @YoelRomeroMMA KO's Chris Weidman with a flying knee! #UFCNYC #UFC205 https://t.co/ArHGA4Evan
— eir Sport (@eirSport) November 13, 2016
The result marked only Weidman’s second ever defeat, the first being his title fight loss to Luke Rockhold at UFC 194. Meanwhile, Romero is now riding an eight-fight win-streak, the longest active streak in the division and he made a real case to get a crack at champion Michael Bisping next.
The Count was at the event and stood out of his seat when Romero addressed him in the post-fight interview. He may not have had a mic, but that didn’t stop him from making the exchange memorable.
@bisping v @YoelRomeroMMA? Looks like it's on for the Middleweight title! The Champ is ready! #UFC205 #UFCNYC https://t.co/pe6QiQ2DBy
— eir Sport (@eirSport) November 13, 2016
