Despite Michael Bisping saying Yoel Romero fight will happen in spring, potential challenger hints at UFC 208

Despite Michael Bisping’s assurances that he’ll (even reluctantly) fight Yoel Romero in the spring, the prospective middleweight title challenger today hinted at a January date.

Romero (13-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) knocked out former champ Chris Weidman in devastating fashion at UFC 205 just 10 days ago. He became the presumptive next challenger for middleweight champ Bisping (30-7 MMA, 20-7 UFC) with the win.

Michael Bisping

But it was only after Bisping had to pull back on a previous claim that he wouldn’t fight Romero becasue the Cuban tested positive for a banned substance in a past fight. But Romero ultimately was

A failed drug test and some questionable in-cage tactics aside, Romero has earned his shot, according to Bisping, who recently said he’d accept the fight – but for the spring, after some injections in his knee. He told UFC President Dana White he wanted to have the holidays to spend time with his family and heal up, then fight Romero.

And that’s despite the UFC coming to Bisping’s backyard for UFC 108, which is set for Jan. 21 at Honda Center in Anaheim. Bisping, an England native, has been a longtime Southern California resident.

But perhaps that date and location still is in play, despite Bisping saying last week that later in the year was the more likely candidate.

Romero today said on his Twitter feed that “if the rumors are true, I’ll be hosting a retirement party on 1/21,” – and tagged Bisping in the tweet.

Bisping has not responded, and the UFC hasn’t made any formal announcements about who will headline the UFC 208 pay-per-view – which is just two months away. Before announcing he had gotten knee injections and that he wanted to fight in the spring, Bisping himself said being on the UFC 208 card would be ideal.

For more on UFC 208, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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