Robert Whittaker Warns Yoel Romero ‘If You Don’t Make Weight, I’m Not Fighting You’
Yoel Romero may have earned a rematch against middleweight champion Robert Whittaker despite missing weight for his last fight against Luke Rockhold but he won’t be granted that luxury a second time.
As Whittaker prepares for his first title defense in June against the same fighter he defeated to win the belt last July, he warns Romero to hit the mark at 185 pounds or he won’t be competing the next day.
According to Whittaker, making weight is part of a fighter’s job and he’s not going to face Romero if he comes in over the middleweight limit for their title fight at UFC 225.
“Nah, no way. Like, why would you?” Whittaker told Submission Radio when asked about facing Romero if he’s over weight. “I don’t understand anyone who takes fights when their opponent doesn’t make weight. It’s like, if you rock up at 87 kilos, which is what Romero did – It was like 86 kilos or something like that – then why don’t I rock up at 95 [kgs)\]? What’s the difference? We’re both not making weight, we’re both not professional enough to do it, you know? And the weight cut is directly influential to the fight itself. I think not making weight is the most unprofessional thing you can do. It’s as bad as just not showing up for the fight itself.
“So, if you don’t make weight, I’m not fighting you. I’ll give the shot to someone else who can make the weight, who can do their freaking job.”
To his credit, Romero had never missed weight previously until the mishap against Rockhold in Australia at UFC 221 in February.
Assuming the Cuban born fighter hits the scale at 185 pounds or less, Whittaker is more than happy to face Romero a second time because it gives him the chance to improve on his performance.
In fact, Whittaker hopes that Romero uses a similar strategy against him that he did with Rockhold because he believes that will give him an even better opportunity to earn a knockout.
“I hope and I pray that he fights me like he fought Rockhold, because like think about it, a stationary target in front of me? Yeah, all right,” Whittaker said.
“I think I stop him in the third [round], but let’s see”
