Yoel Romero released from UFC contract after nearly seven years with promotion

Perennial middleweight contender Yoel Romero is no longer on the UFC roster.

Romero (13-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC), a three-time UFC title challenger, has been released from his UFC contract, MMA Junkie verified with his manager, Malki Kawa, on Friday following an initial report from ESPN.

“The Solider of God,” who most recently came up short in a unanimous decision loss against middleweight champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 248 in March, still had three fights remaining on his contract at the time of his release.

Kawa did not reveal details on why the two sides parted ways.

Romero, 43, made his octagon debut in April 2013. He won his first eight fights with the promotion, setting up a title opportunity against Robert Whittaker at UFC 213 in July 2017. He dropped a decision, but would work his way to a rematch with Whittaker at UFC 225 in July 2013.

The Cuban fighter missed weight for the rematch with Whittaker, then lost a split decision in what many considered to be the “Fight of the Year.”

Romero, who is No. 6 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie MMA middleweight rankings, has since lost decisions to Paulo Costa and Adesanya, giving him a 1-4 record leading up to his release.

Although he didn’t capture a title, Romero still left his mark in the UFC. He has the third most knockouts in middleweight history (seven), the third-most knockdowns (10), is one of two fighters in UFC history with multiple flying knee finishes, along with other accolades.