Middleweight contenders Yoel Romero (13-3, 11 KO) and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (26-6, 8 KOs, 14 SUBs) will square off in a rematch at UFC on ESPN 3 on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, FL. The card airs live on ESPN starting 9pm ET.
An important rematch is set to main event UFC’s third ESPN network card. No. 1 contender Yoel Romero, who is always seems to be a win or two away from a title shot, will meet No. 3 Ronaldo Souza, who somehow has not yet managed to secure his own title challenge - despite maintaining a top 5 spot for years.
The pair first met in 2015 at UFC 194, with Romero walking away with a razor-thin split decision. Though most viewers and MMA publications scored the fight for Jacare, it was truly a coin flip by the end of the night. In that matchup, Romero blasted Souza in the first round, battering the Brazilian with a spinning backfast and brutal followup GNP. Though Souza staggered to his corner between rounds, superior cardio gave him the edge in the second and third rounds, while Romero was visibly exhausted.
It’s hard to predict what’s in store for the winner of the rematch. Undisputed champion Robert Whittaker is recovering from a life-threatening condition. An interim title match is planned for Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum. Would the either Souza or Romero meet the winner of that matchup, or would the interim champ sit out and wait for the return of Bobby Knuckles? Wrinkle: Romero could possibly beat the interim champ and face Whittaker a third time, after having lost twice to him.
It’s definitely complicated, but that doesn’t take away the significance of the matchup. Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and break down the opening lines.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Yoel Romero +180
Ronaldo Souza -220
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: Odds coming soon!
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Romero 3.32 / Souza 3.16
Accuracy: Romero 51% / Souza 53%
Absorbed per minute: Romero 2.95 / Souza 5.43
Defense: Romero 63% / Souza 63%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Romero 1.98 / Souza 1.91
Takedown accuracy: Romero 35% / Souza 29%
Takedown defense: Romero 78% / Souza 53%
Submission average: Romero 0 / Souza 1.18
Bet this fight at BookMaker.eu
In their first fight Souza close as a -145 favorite, with Romero at -105 on the comeback. Neither man has fallen off physically since that encounter, so it makes sense that the odds are close again this time around.
Souza has gone 4-2 since losing to Romero, getting knocked out by Robert Whittaker and losing a split decision to Kelvin Gastelum. The loss to Whittaker was particularly stunning, as the Brazilian closed as a -320 favorite. It wasn’t even close - Whittaker kept the fight on the feet and used his speed to run circles around Jacare and light him up with laser-guided punches. For the first time in the UFC, the 39-year old looked...old.
Romero has only managed a 2-2 record since beating Souza, with both losses coming against Bobby Knuckles. Both fights were extremely close, and in true Romero fashion, he nearly earned a finish each time with a lightning blitz. To date, Whittaker and Souza are one of the few men to survive a clean assault from Romero.
UFC Odds Picks: Wait to see how the line moves
This is kind of a copout pick, but it truly feels like a coin flip. Our suggestion is to wait to see if anybody ends up anywhere close to +150, then jump on that line. There is a compelling case for both fighters here, and we’d be comfortable picking either fighter at a good price.
Bet on UFC odds online at BookMaker.eu
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today. UFC 237 takes place on Saturday, May 11, 2019 at the Jeunesse Arena in Barra de Tijuca, Brazil.
