Biography
The name of the Cuban fighter Yoel Romero is known to all lovers of mixed martial arts. The athlete is called the Soldier of the Lord and are waiting for victories from him, although inexorable time dictates their laws. Despite the fact that at the age of 40 it is difficult to talk about the flourishing and peak of the form, Romero continues to find rivals and participate in the fights on the joy of numerous fans around the world.Childhood and youth
Yoel Romero Palacio was born in the Cuban city of Pinar del Rio on April 30, 1977. Childhood and young years have passed on Cuba, where he earned with a freestyle struggle at an early age. His family was pious, and a man to this day is a Christian who believes in God's fishing and the main virtues considers patience and humility.
In the family, not one Joel was fond of the struggle, a famous athlete came out of his relatives: the Boxer-professional Joan Pablo Hernandez falls Romero younger brother. The passion for the freestyle wrestling quickly caused fruit. The young man began to show outstanding results, which allowed him to participate in international competitions.
Martial arts
At the 20th age, the guy first went to the championship of the planet and brought from there a bronze medal. Already in 1999, Romero was able to become a world champion in his weight category, which made him a favorite on the eve of the upcoming Olympiad in Sydney. However, here Joel lost the final to the Russian fighter Adam Sitiev and eventually became a silver medalist. 4 years later in Athens, the athlete remains at all outside the pedestal, remaining on the offensive 4th place.The sports biography of MMA began at Joel in a solid for this type of age - he was already 32. The first professional match Romero held at the Fight of The Night tournament in 2009 against the Austrian Sasha Vainpolter and defeated the technical knockout. In the three subsequent fights, Cuban wrenches early victories, which displays it to the StrikeForce level. However, the debut battle was not asked: Rafael Kavalkanta sent an opponent in a knockout in the 2nd round.
After that, there was an almost 2-year-old pause in a quarry, during which the athlete heal the neck injury. Return to octagon occurred in 2013, when Joel debuted in the UFC duel against Clifford Starx, which knocked out in the 1st round. Since then, Romero has started a victorious series, deserving the glory of the king knockouts in the middleweight. Of the 13 triumphal battles of Cuban at 11, he put the point with a crushing blow.
In 2014, Joel fought with Tim Kennedy, having finished the battle of TKO in the 3rd round, which was the first knockout for the American for 13 years. Following him under the pressure of Romero, Luke Rokhold, Chris Vaidman and Lioto Machida. For a long-term career in MMA, the fighter only losing the fight three times, and they ended with the decision of the judges. However, to the disappointment of numerous fans, the champion title was still not submitted by the Soldier of the Lord.
In 2016, Cuban was removed from the competition for suspicion of violation of anti-doping policy. However, the athlete denied the fact of use of prohibited drugs and made a suit against sports nutrition. He managed to prove that Gold Star Performance Products produced the product, after the use of which Ibatamorn was in his body. In the spring of 2019, the company pledged to pay a fighter $ 27.5 million in compensation.
Personal life
Despite the loud victories and high professional achievements, the fighter had to endure cramped conditions. As a result, having lost hopes for a decent standard of living in his homeland, Romero did not return home. It happened in 2007, after one of the tournaments held in Germany. There, Joel and Donkey on the first time, defeating all sorts of ties with the island of freedom, where parents and the Son remained, born in 2005.
In a new place, Cuban met the girl who became his wife and gave birth to two children. The first daughter appeared on the light in Germany, and the second - in the US, where the fighter with his family moved in 2011.
Now the family lives in Miami, and the only reason that causes Romero to be sad, is the impossibility of reunion with Cuban relatives. He supports with them a connection via video chats and hopes that it will still give the son a reason for pride, demonstrating the cherished belt.
Now at all tournaments an athlete, despite Cuban citizenship, protrudes under the US flag. It was this country that provided a fighter with comfortable conditions for training due to the abundance of the professional halls of MMA, where he was able to improve the technique and acquire new skills.
Joel diligently teaches English to communicate on it with fans, because, from his point of view, knowledge of the language is a tribute to the country that provided him with unlimited opportunities. Before that, living in Germany, Romero learned German and speaks freely on it.
Joel Romero now
Age does not limit Yoel in terms of training and self-development. It is still demanding of himself and puts high tasks. A man remains one of the most dangerous opponents in the middleweight (with an increase of 178 cm athlete weighs 84 kg). Fans are looking forward to the announcement of the nearest battle of Romero and follow the information about his sporting and personal life in the Instagram account, where the athlete is divided by fresh photos.Here he posted an invitation to fight on Jiu-Jitsu, who spent with Chris Barnette on June 15, 2019. This meeting was not for the fee, but as part of charity - in support of sick children.
In April 2019, Cuban planned to compete for the champion title with Jacaro Sound on the UFC Sunrise, but could not participate in the competition due to the inflammation of the lungs. Before that, Joel held a fight with Robert Whitaker, in which Australian in the summer of 2018 won the separation decision of the judges. The UFC champion in middleweight said that during the battle he felt like Romero was made of steel and it is impossible to damage.
At the UFC 225 tournament in Chicago, the Soldiers of the Lord showed a total of 90 grams in the control weighing, which deprived the match of the title status. After a protracted 5-round battle, Joel was taken to the hospital, but admitted that he did not feel the losers. He stated that he was ready to spend how much revenge against the Whitaker. The previous opposition of the fighters took place in August 2017 and ended with the victory of Australian.
On August 17, 2019, a battle with Brazilian Paulo Bone was held in the UFC 241 tournament. The rival under Romero for 14 years and for 7 years of professional career did not lose any fight. It did not happen in Anaheim, where Paulo won another victory.
Achievements
- 2013 - "Best Naukout of the Evenings"
- 2014, 2017, 2018 - "The Best Battle of the Evening"
- 2015, 2016 - "Evening Speech"