This story was updated at 11 PM Eastern.
Yoel Romero missed weight Friday, so his UFC 225 main event vs. middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is now a non-title affair.
There was no official statement from the UFC on the matter, but UFC president Dana White said the fight is on. MMA Junkie’s John Morgan said as of 11 PM that the commission has yet to make an official statement either.
It’s unknown as of this time whether a financial arrangement was made between the two or if there are fight day parameters in place. Several reporters cited that Whittaker was comfortable with the fight going on, but Romero was the one unsure if he wanted to continue.
If this sounds like deja vu, Romero missed championship weight at February’s UFC 221 in an interim middleweight fight with Luke Rockhold. He won that fight via third round knockout but was ineligible to win the title.
At the official weigh-ins Friday morning, Romero missed weight at 186 pounds but the Illinois Athletic Commission gave him two extra hours to cut, apparently because he is fighting for the title. His second attempt was 185.2, just 2/10 of a pound over where he needed to be.
What happens to Romero after the fight is anyone’s guess. One would think the UFC would make him move up to light heavyweight (205) as this is two straight misses, something they’ve done in the past with other fighters who keep missing.
The 41-year-old faced Whittaker at UFC 213 for the interim title nearly a year ago and lost a unanimous decision. Due to injuries, Whittaker hasn’t fought since then.