A middleweight division match up between Yoel Romero and Paulo Costa had been reportedly happening this November at UFC 230.
It would appear that the bout is now off, mainly because Romero still needs time to recover from a recent surgery.
“Maybe four or five months. The doctor said, ‘Yoel needs more time.’ You know me. If you give me somebody, I take it. But you need to be smart. When the doctor says, ‘You’re ready,’ you can go. I’m waiting,” Romero said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show.
Romero recently had surgery done to repair a broken orbital bone suffered at UFC 225, where he lost a close decision to UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker.
The middleweight contender still has plans to move up a weight class, but wants to win the 185 pound title first.
“I talked with the UFC and said I’m not going to go up (to 205). Maybe in the future. People need to see the belt on my body. When I take the belt, maybe I’ll go up and fight a superfight,” says Romero.
UFC 230 takes place on Saturday, November 3 from Madison Square Garden in New York, New York with no main event announced at this time. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
