Yoel Romero has been entrenched in the mixed martial arts elite for so long that it's easy to forget that he's never reached the sport's pinnacle. Romero has been in the world title scene for nearly half of his professional MMA career. At 46 years old, Romero likely approaches his last chance at immortality against light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov at Bellator 297 on Friday.
Romero's resume is unfortunately riddled with concessions and consolation prizes dating back to his appearance in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Romero is an Olympic medalist. That deserves all the respect in the world. But much like his MMA journey, a silver medal in his sole appearance means that Romero achieved a secondary prize.
Alexander Gustafsson, Chael Sonnen, Joseph Benavidez and Nate Diaz. These are some of the best fighters to never win a major world championship in MMA. Romero -- short of a shocking upset -- appears doomed to remain a part of this collective.
Nemkov vs. Romero marks the latter's fourth scheduled world championship match, including interim belts. Even that statistic is a little messy. Romero missed weight in consecutive fights against Luke Rockhold and Robert Whittaker for the interim and undisputed UFC middleweight championships, respectively, and was ineligible to win the title as a consequence. Those fights are especially disappointing chapters in the book of Romero. The Cuban fighter knocked out Rockhold but went home empty-handed. Many believe he deserved the nod in a subsequent split decision loss to Whittaker, but historical texts will forever display a loss.
Despite his shortcomings in major fights and his ongoing battle with Father Time, Romero remains disciplined and his mind fortified.
"I don't think this is my last chance to fight for a world title," Romero told "Morning Kombat" hosts Brian Campbell and Luke Thomas. "My mind is too strong."
Win or lose on Saturday night, Romero says he will "absolutely" fight again.
Romero is a freak of nature. His ability to compete at a high level on the back half of 40 is as remarkable as his stone-chiselled physique. Should Romero defy expectations and achieve immortality at Bellator 297, he will do so in the most appropriate way: as the oldest major world champion in MMA.
