Adesanya On 'Most Boring Fight' With Romero

Israel Adesanya has labeled his 2020 middleweight title defense against Yoel Romero one of the dullest bouts in UFC history.

The former champion revisited the UFC 248 headliner in a recent YouTube breakdown, per MMA Fighting. That March 2020 contest produced 25 minutes of sparse action as Adesanya retained his belt via decision in a fight fans panned for its lack of engagement. "I had one of the most exciting fights in the history of the planet [Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum] that's inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, but I also had one of the most boring fights in the history of the company alongside Yoel Romero," Adesanya said.

Adesanya told viewers both men fought cautiously after Romero landed a power shot early that left him seeing four opponents. "When he hit me with that zinger, I seen four in front of me, and I thought, 'OK, he's going to come in for the kill,'" he said, according to BJ Penn.com. "He just played the game and yeah, it was a boring fight. But he's a dangerous man. There's a reason he didn't want to come close and there's a reason I didn't want to risk again getting hit by that zinger."

The video primarily addressed criticism of UFC 332, which featured a vacant flyweight title fight between Natalia Silva and Wang Cong that drew complaints from media and fans. Adesanya said the card lacked star power and compelling storylines, not necessarily talent. He argued fight buildup through Embedded episodes and vlogs creates investment.

Adesanya's remarks follow Romero's recent bare-knuckle boxing loss to Darren Till. The former middleweight contender entered UFC 248 on a mixed run but remained viewed as dangerous despite his record.