Israel Adesanya registered his first official UFC title defense on Saturday when he defeated Yoel Romero in the UFC 248 main event.
Adesanya (19-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) extended the lengthy undefeated run to start his MMA career with a unanimous decision victory over Romero (13-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) to retain his middleweight in the headlining bout, which took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and aired on pay-per-view.
Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Adesanya’s title defense against Romero at UFC 248.
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It's time! The #UFC248 main event is up next and the middleweight belt is up for grabs between Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) and @YoelRomeroMMA.
Play-by-play: https://t.co/wV6Kp149XP pic.twitter.com/Kfl0PeCsQx
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) March 8, 2020
Keeping his eyes on this one. 👀
🇧🇷 @BorrachinhaMMA #UFC248 pic.twitter.com/JBYKoqj0U5
— UFC (@ufc) March 8, 2020
Epic walkout from @stylebender! The #UFC248 main event is here. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/DBNgOnfOHH
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) March 8, 2020
#UFC248 Closing Betting Odds:#UFC Middleweight Title
Yoel Romero +230
Israel Adesanya -280💵 Live -> @ESPN+ #PPV @Jon_Anik @joerogan @dc_mma @UFC #OnTheLine @MMAOddsBreaker https://t.co/KSp3YsQTNS
— Nick Kalikas (@FightOdds) March 8, 2020
FIREWORKS.
🏆 @Stylebender vs. 🇨🇺 @YoelRomeroMMA#UFC248 pic.twitter.com/SeAABaV6Ai
— UFC (@ufc) March 8, 2020
I love watching the spectacle that is Yoel Romero like the rest of you, but the pick here is Adesanya to retain. I’m not sure how much weight we can put into Romero’s wrestling edge and suspect that Adesanya’s feints help defuse threats…
— Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) March 8, 2020
It looked like Romeros controller was broken on the @ufc game
— Gerald Harris (@GHurricane) March 8, 2020
This is delightfully bizarre and I'm totally here for it. 1:25 into the first round for the first strike thrown. #UFC248
— Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) March 8, 2020
Record his longest time in a fight before a strike was thrown?
— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) March 8, 2020
Romero lands a massive overhand right which seems to have hurt Izzy’s eye
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 8, 2020
Legit thought there would start with a dance off 😂 #ufc248
— Niko Price (@Nikohybridprice) March 8, 2020
The comain spoiled us that was enough action for the day
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) March 8, 2020
That was a weird round, but 10-9 Romero. #UFC248
— Danny Segura (@dannyseguratv) March 8, 2020
Unofficial R1 striking numbers for Adesanya-Romero:
Adesayna: 3 of 11
Romero: 4 of 6#UFC248— Michael Carroll (@MJCflipdascript) March 8, 2020
Yeah, Bisping would have beaten this showpony easily. Lot of sizzle, not much steak.
— Ant Evans (@AntEvansMMA) March 8, 2020
Very uneventful round. Adesanya showing unusual deference to Romero, who likely takes the first off of a big punch. One of the only strikes either landed.
— Luke Thomas (@lthomasnews) March 8, 2020
Pretty much. Let's see if he can win the belt by landing 5 punches in 25 minutes? https://t.co/OmMwQ7ZXVU
— Guilherme Cruz (@guicruzzz) March 8, 2020
As real as it gets. https://t.co/AIx93KyjrM
— Jordan Breen (@jordanbreen) March 8, 2020
Yoel Romero joins the likes of fighters like Belfort, Woodley and Overeem in regards to winning a round with under 10 strikes thrown/landed. #UFC248
— Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) March 8, 2020
Imagine we have a repeat of Ngannou and Lewis 😮 #ufc248
— JIMI MANUWA (@POSTERBOYJM) March 8, 2020
Everyone booing but I think this is such a smart game plan for Romero. Doesn’t make for an exciting fight. But I think he won the first round #UFC248
— Brad Tavares (@BradTavares) March 8, 2020
Yoels not giving Izzy any reads it’s hard to move in on him this is Yoels world right now
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) March 8, 2020
I have it 20-18 Romero
Very smart game plan to make Israel go first.
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) March 8, 2020
I’m gonna get some heat for this but I got Yeol after two.
— Jon Fitch 🦍🐲🦏🍔 (@jonfitchdotnet) March 8, 2020
Such a weird fight to score….
— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) March 8, 2020
People are booing but I’m on the edge of my seat here. Fascinating
— michael (@bisping) March 8, 2020
What the hell am I watching?
— Greg Savage (@TheSavageTruth) March 8, 2020
Welllll this is quite the change of pace from the last fight #UFC248
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) March 8, 2020
One mistake and it’s over. So let’s not say this is boring #ufc248 #gameofinches
— JIMI MANUWA (@POSTERBOYJM) March 8, 2020
This #UFC248 main event should have open scoring so we can see in real time which judges have fallen asleep and not turned in any scores.
— Robert Sargent (@MMARising) March 8, 2020
Did Yoel throw a strike in Rd 3?
— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) March 8, 2020
Fans are booing and shining their flashlights. Not happy with this #UFC248 main event. I have it Romero 29-28 through three. It has been … weird.
— Marc Raimondi (@marc_raimondi) March 8, 2020
Miragliotta with a timidity warning to both fighters
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) March 8, 2020
Adesanya needed that round. Let’s see if he can build off it… #UFC248
— Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) March 8, 2020
At least Dennis Hallman had the courtesy to start the fight with a flying pro-wrestling dropkick on Jens Pulver before trying to have the shittiest UFC title fight ever.
— Jordan Breen (@jordanbreen) March 8, 2020
This is not a star-making performance for Izzy unless he does something dramatic to make people forget the first three-plus rounds
— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) March 8, 2020
🧐🧐🧐🧐 #UFC248
— Renee Young (@ReneeYoungWWE) March 8, 2020
Yoel Romero is starting to talk more out there, and play some games. Doing some weird stuff quite frankly. Which I interpret as, he's losing. He's trying to get Israel Adesanya to make a mistake. Very low action fight, but feels like it's on Yoel to make a move.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) March 8, 2020
Main event comes off as a light sparring match after that co-main #UFC248
— Sean O'Connell (@realOCsports) March 8, 2020
🇧🇷 @BorrachinhaMMA offers up his two cents from Octagon side. #UFC248 pic.twitter.com/mFvWQvK6V8
— UFC (@ufc) March 8, 2020
Romero finally shoots for a takedown immediately after the timeout for the eyepoke. Adesanya bounces right back up, but may have taken a shot on the break
— Adam Hill (@AdamHillLVRJ) March 8, 2020
Looks to me like Adesanya took note of the damage Whittaker absorbed in 10 rounds with Romero and how it may have permanently altered his career. He wants the win, but isn't willing to do so on those terms.
— Luke Thomas (@lthomasnews) March 8, 2020
Fifth round decides this weird-ass fight. #UFC248
— E. Spencer Kyte (@spencerkyte) March 8, 2020
Who the fuck is winning this fight you think?
— michael (@bisping) March 8, 2020
I gave Izzy the fourth. I have it 39-37 Adesanya but neither man is burning it up.
— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) March 8, 2020
3-1 Yoel?? #UFC248
— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) March 8, 2020
I literally fell asleep #UFC248
— Ramsey Nijem (@RamseyNijem) March 8, 2020
Izzy got staph and Yoel made weight I knew this fight wasn’t gonna be epic
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) March 8, 2020
Well that was the weirdest fight I've seen in a long, long, loooooong time. #UFC248
— Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) March 8, 2020
I have it 48-48. That was a mess. #UFC248
— Phil Murphy (@Phil_Sports) March 8, 2020
3-2 Adesanya. One of the worst fights in UFC history. Romero DOES NOT deserve the belt. NO SIR..
— Fight Ghost (@Fight_Ghost) March 8, 2020
No clue honestly #UFC248
— Julian marquez (@JMarquezMMA) March 8, 2020
Yeol won that fight.
— Jon Fitch 🦍🐲🦏🍔 (@jonfitchdotnet) March 8, 2020
Romero #andnew
— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) March 8, 2020
Lol
— Siyar The Great (@Siyarized) March 8, 2020
Really hope this isn’t how Izzy gets his first loss
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) March 8, 2020
#UFC248 results: Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) def. Yoel Romero via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) – to defend middleweight title https://t.co/wV6Kp149XP pic.twitter.com/yqoz4nDm8u
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) March 8, 2020
