The middleweight division is about to get a shakeup as Yoel Romero takes on Robert Whittaker for the interim middleweight title at UFC 213 on Saturday.
With current champion Michael Bisping out dealing with an injury—plus the fact the status of his announced bout with Georges St-Pierre remains up in the air—UFC president Dana White decided to introduce an interim 185-pound belt.
Romero is the No. 1-ranked contender and 8-0 in the Octagon with wins over Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, Tim Kennedy plus former UFC champs Lyoto Machida and Chris Weidman.
Whittaker is ranked No. 3 and is unbeaten in the division. His winning streak hit seven when he became the first person to finish Souza in more than eight years when he TKO’d him in April.
Check out how both fighters have prepared for the bout.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNd91flNdMM
Here’s a look at the complete UFC 213 lineup:
MAIN CARD
— Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko (for women’s bantamweight title)
— Yoel Romero vs. Robert Whittaker (for interim middleweight title)
— Daniel Omielanczuk vs. Curtis Blaydes
— Fabrício Werdum vs. Alistair Overeem
— Anthony Pettis vs. Jim Miller
PRELIMINARY CARD
— Travis Browne vs. Oleksiy Oliynyk
— Chad Laprise vs. Brian Camozzi
— Thiago Santos vs. Gerald Meerschaert
— Jordan Mein vs. Belal Muhammad
— Rob Font vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade
— Cody Stamann vs. Terrion Ware
— Trevin Giles vs. James Bochnovic
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