If Yoel Romero started 20 years earlier

[Velkar182]

If Yoel Romero started 20 years earlier

Then his wrestling would probably suck by comparison.

 

[Phronimos]

I often wonder, what if Yoel Romero was transported back to 64 BC, how would he have fared back then?

 

[Cro Cop Is Back]

What if he didn't mention Jesus?

 

[SalvadorAllende]

Yoel is definitely the most dangerous 38 year old in MMA right now. He's like an explosive, Cuban Couture with flying knees. War Romero.

Werdum turned 38 a week ago... and he subbed a better version of Couture.

 

[SherdogGoat]

what if he started when he was 12?

 

[Ragnarocker]

The difference in skill ebtween an Olympic gold medal and a silver medal is only a tiny bit it matters in that particular discilpine if he improved 1% in those years but it doesnt matter for MMA if his wrestling was 1% better or worse.

And the determination is probably the same for every high level wrestler even those who aren#t close to being an Olympic medalist .is determination was always there I don't think its the result for his accomplishment but it's the reason for his accomplishments in wrestling

Some people prefer that gold bling over silver. To me, if you spend so many years to get to the top but fall short, especially by that small difference between a gold and a silver medal performance, I'd want to try again to get that gold.

 

[Ragnarocker]

Werdum turned 38 a week ago... and he subbed a better version of Couture.

Werdum's been pretty elite since he was in his late 20s. Romero has only just become elite since beating Machida. Shit he almost got outstruck by Tim Kennedy a year ago. I think he did wait too long to try MMA. He took a 4-5 year break between wrestling competitions and MMA.

 

[LHWBelt]

Meh, Randy started late and still got the title multiple times.

Yoel be aight.

Ya I can see Yoel being like that.

 

[Cptn1NSAN0]

Werdum turned 38 a week ago... and he subbed a better version of Couture.

Damn I didn't realize Werdum was getting up there so high. He's an old lion for sure.

Also, shooting Col. Allende in the dome is the best part of RDD...

 

[HOLA]

Some people prefer that gold bling over silver. To me, if you spend so many years to get to the top but fall short, especially by that small difference between a gold and a silver medal performance, I'd want to try again to get that gold.

Dude already won a gold medal in the WC.

If he wanted another in the Olympics or WC so bad he probably would not have sold matches to eastern Europeans so much.

He was world champ in 99 when he was only 22.

The years after that was when Evan Tanner, Dave Menne, Rich Franklin etc were champs. If Yoel defected when he was 22, I'm pretty sure he would have gone on a long run as UFC champ.

As it turned out, he only got 5 matches before he was 36, and started at a top camp. That isn't ideal any way you look at it.

 

[Ragnarocker]

Dude already won a gold medal in the WC.

If he wanted another in the Olympics or WC so bad he probably would not have sold matches to eastern Europeans so much.

He was world champ in 99 when he was only 22.

The years after that was when Evan Tanner, Dave Menne, Rich Franklin etc were champs. If Yoel defected when he was 22, I'm pretty sure he would have gone on a long run as UFC champ.

As it turned out, he only got 5 matches before he was 36, and started at a top camp. That isn't ideal any way you look at it.

I don't know his motivations but gold in the Olympics is better than in the WC. If I got silver in the Olympics, I'd want to try again for the gold knowing how close I came.

You mention the defection and I'm sure that was another problem for him. When you defect, it's not a simple thing. Your family could be imprisoned or fined back in your home country. Cuba has steadily relaxed its communist policies (to the point the US is now in diplomatic relations with them) and once Romero was no longer a viable Olympic competitor for Cuba, getting out would be even more possible.

 

[HOLA]

I don't know his motivations but gold in the Olympics is better than in the WC. If I got silver in the Olympics, I'd want to try again for the gold knowing how close I came.

They're both a world-level title. It is the same level of competition. Every year they hold a contest to see who is the best in the world. For 3 years it is the WC, every 4th it is the Olympics.

You mention the defection and I'm sure that was another problem for him. When you defect, it's not a simple thing. Your family could be imprisoned or fined back in your home country. Cuba has steadily relaxed its communist policies (to the point the US is now in diplomatic relations with them) and once Romero was no longer a viable Olympic competitor for Cuba, getting out would be even more possible.

He would have been in the 08 Olympics again if he wanted. in 2007, he made the Cuban national team again, ran through a 32 man tournament in Germany, then stayed in Germany.

The guy who got 3rd in the tourny won the Olympic gold next year, and there were many other Olympians in it. Yolo spanked em.

 

[Ragnarocker]

They're both a world-level title. It is the same level of competition. Every year they hold a contest to see who is the best in the world. For 3 years it is the WC, every 4th it is the Olympics.

He would have been in the 08 Olympics again if he wanted. in 2007, he made the Cuban national team again, ran through a 32 man tournament in Germany, then stayed in Germany.

The guy who got 3rd in the tourny won the Olympic gold next year, and there were many other Olympians in it. Yolo spanked em.

Ok but there's still a difference in prestige between the WC and the Olympics.

I'm sure it was a confluence of events that led him to leave wrestling and pursue MMA. He took 4-5 years off between so that's another few years he lost from his MMA career. Maybe he was burned out from competition, didn't consider MMA as a possible future, or had family commitments back home.

 

[HOLA]

Ok but there's still a difference in prestige between the WC and the Olympics.

I'm sure it was a confluence of events that led him to leave wrestling and pursue MMA. He took 4-5 years off between so that's another few years he lost from his MMA career. Maybe he was burned out from competition, didn't consider MMA as a possible future, or had family commitments back home.

It wasn't that long.

The Grand Prix of Germany was the summer of 07.

Then he defected to Germany, and wrestled in their pro wrestling(real, not Hulk Hogan stuff) league for a bit. He had his first MMA fight Dec of 09.

He never really took a break from competition, except 06 when he was suspended for throwing a match and 20 or so months after Feijao because of neck surgery.