Yoel Romero v. Paulo Costa officially off of UFC 230

It looks like UFC 230 will be missing out on an epic middleweight fight. Speaking on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Hour,  Yoel Romero stated he is unable to fight on the event in November.

After the fight was initially confirmed, Romero (13-3) quickly denied the claims, stating he still needed to recover from surgery to repair a broken orbital bone. He suffered the injury during a split-decision loss to Robert Whittaker in a Middleweight Title fight back in May. While initially thought to be ready by November, Romero’s doctor wanted him to be careful:

“Maybe four or five months. The doctor said, ‘Yoel needs more time.’ You know me. If you give me somebody, I take it. But you need to be smart. When the doctor says, ‘You’re ready,’ you can go. I’m waiting.”

He also stated he signed a new eight-fight deal with the UFC. As a result, getting a chance to heal could result in a more relaxed Romero, leading to greater opportunities.

Paulo Costa (12-0) would have been one of Romero’s greatest challenges to date if the match took place. Costa last fought at UFC 226, beating Uriah Hall via second-round TKO. “The Eraser” is reportedly willing to wait for Romero to be cleared to fight again. With a win, Costa could be in serious consideration for a title opportunity.