Preview: UFC 213 ‘Nunes vs. Shevchenko 2’

Interim UFC Middleweight Championship

Yoel Romero (13-1) vs. Robert Whittaker (18-4)

THE MATCHUP: Just as Jose Aldo-Max Holloway was for featherweight, this is the most compelling matchup possible in the middleweight division. Simply put, Romero and Whittaker are the best 185 pounds has to offer; and yes, that comparison does include distracted champion Michael Bisping, who is more interested in cashing in than defending his title. Thus, I see the fact that this fight is for an interim middleweight title as the best of a bad situation: The best fighters in the division will fight for up to five rounds, and a belt will make the winner a challenger that Bisping cannot ignore. The only thing tarnishing this fight is the fact that Romero was already promised a shot at the undisputed title eight months ago.

In terms of sheer strength and explosive power, Romero is almost certainly the best athlete in the division. Though much of the space between Romero’s strikes goes wasted, his catlike reactions enable him to time perfect counters with perfect precision, such as the knee with which he finished Chris Weidman in November. How scary is Romero? As a muscle-bound superhuman, “The Soldier of God” has a habit of growing weary by the third round; somehow, despite this, he has earned five of his six UFC knockouts in the third round. All of which is to say, Romero at his worst is no less dangerous than Romero at his best, if not more so. Romero is also a true gamesman, willing to use dirty tactics to maximize his chances of winning. Whether spending too much time on the stool, having his cornermen douse him with water that must be wiped away before the next round can begin or simply grabbing the fence, Romero will do whatever it takes.

In terms of striking skill, Whittaker is on another level. He is rightly regarded for his boxing. Whittaker throws a crisp jab and follows it with lightning-quick combinations. He is athletic, creative and has a vast arsenal of defensive techniques. All of this allows him to box traditionally or surprise his opponent with darting punches before slipping any counters and immediately taking an angle. Yet for all of his boxing skill, Whittaker is particularly dangerous because he peppers his fistic assault with surprising, dynamic kicks and even the occasional takedown attempt. Whittaker is a consummate fighter. His dominant victory over Ronaldo Souza, saying nothing of the six straight wins which preceded it, proves he is no upstart but a serious contender.

Thus, the striking will be won by whoever controls distance and lands the more punishing counters. Whittaker’s fundamentals will serve him well here, and yet, Romero’s dynamic, freestyle striking has thrown off many other crafty opponents. Whittaker can set a trap, but Romero can respond in the blink of an eye.

Even now, having considered all of the ways in which these two gentlemen may knock out one another, we have yet to analyze the wrestling and ground games. As a wrestler, Romero has taken silver in the Olympics and gold in the World Championships, as well as numerous gold medals in the Wrestling World Cup, Pan American Games and Pan American Championships. Atop all this wrestling skill, Romero, even at 38 years old, still seems to leap and lunge as he did in his prime. Yet Whittaker is not clearly outmatched. His athletic abilities are underrated, and he is an adept scrambler. At 91 percent, his rate of takedown defense is among the best in the sport, and he has been taken down only once in his last eight fights.

THE ODDS: Whittaker (-130), Romero (+110)

THE PICK: In the end, I think Whittaker possesses the three things necessary to beat Romero: effective distance management to force Romero to lead from long range, clean counterpunching to punish Romero when he leads from long range and the takedown defense and scrambling ability to at the very least make Romero work very hard for every shot. The Cuban has proven time and again that he is dangerous even when tired, but few middleweights possess anything like Whittaker’s technical skill on the feet. He can avoid the worst of what Romero throws back at him and chip away toward the finish. The pick is Whittaker by third-round TKO.

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