UFC 178 is without a doubt the most stacked card that the Ultimate Fighting Championship has been able to present this year. With 12 ranked fighters in competition, there is a lot on the line this coming Saturday. So much so, that different story lines are falling under the radar as the hype for this show continues to grow. The middleweight matchup between Tim Kennedy and Yoel Romero is one of those cases. A fight that is better than a good number of main events that the promotion has put on this year, this is an important matchup for the direction of the division.
Since the start of Chris Weidman’s reign as the middleweight kingpin, the rest of the division has continued to shift itself into position for a shot at the New York native. Kennedy and Romero are two men who could find themselves challenging for said title at some point in 2015. Their performances in this contest will go a long way in determining if that is to happen.
At this point, it’s difficult to say which man has the insider track. Kennedy has the US military background that the UFC loves to push to the mainstream fan. The former Army Ranger is riding a four-fight win streak that culminated with a dominating upset win over Michael Bisping back in April at the TUF Nations Finale. Kennedy is a talkative fellow as well, with the ability to promote himself in a way that draws controversy and eyeballs at the same time.
Romero, on the other hand, is another Olympic competitor that has transitioned into the mixed martial arts arena. In fact, he may be the best Olympian to ever compete in the sport. His silver medal story — albeit for the Cuban team — also gives the UFC a promotional angle that will help them build a fanbase for the fighter. He has also been successful of doing so on his own, as he brings a very violent and entertaining style to the cage. He is either throwing his opponents around with the ease of a professional wrestler or putting their lights out with brutal knockouts. Either way, Romero is giving fans more reasons to cheer for him in every outing.
From an analytical standpoint this is a very captivating matchup. It’s clear that Romero will have the wrestling advantage, especially considering how Kennedy likes to approach his opponents — with pressure and using his own wrestling to control where the bout will take place. However, one factor that is being overlooked is Kennedy’s fight IQ. He’s faced two of the best grapplers in the sport in Roger Gracie and “Jacare” Souza, yet neither was able to use his strengths to completely overwhelm him. While he was defeated by Souza, he was able to out-grapple Gracie in such a way that he avoided being submitted when his back was taken, and even took the submission specialist’s back. Game plans are an often overlooked part of mixed martial arts, but this contest will be key in displaying the importance of planning before fisticuffs.
The UFC may never directly say it, but the contest pitting Tim Kennedy against Yoel Romero should be considered a potential title eliminator. So much is riding on this fight for both men, and the best part is that UFC 178 is such an impressive card that fight fans will get to see this battle for free.
• Tim Kennedy vs. Yoel Romero
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UFC 178: Johnson vs. Cariaso (formerly UFC 178: Jones vs. Cormier, UFC 178: Jones vs. Gustafsson II) is due to take place on September 27, 2014 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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