Adesanya retains title with lackluster win over Romero at UFC 248
Israel Adesanya defeated Yoel Romero by unanimous decision to retain the UFC middleweight title in the UFC 248 main event on Saturday in Las Vegas.
The judges scored the bout 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 in favor of Adesanya.
Adesanya landed more strikes than Romero over the five-round contest while also attacking the challenger's leg with heavy kicks, which seemed to give "The Last Stylebender" the edge.
However, it was a very slow fight that could have gone either way. Romero pressed the action, but he didn't attack with consistency. He landed a few solid punches but didn't stun Adesanya at any point in the fight.
With the victory, Adesanya has defended his 185-pound belt for the first time. The Nigerian-born New Zealander captured it with a second-round stoppage of Robert Whittaker last October.
Romero, 42, has lost three straight fights, and he's also fallen short in four opportunities to capture UFC gold.