Though 2022 wasn’t as busy as lightweight Anthony Romero would have liked, he is happy with how the year turned out.
Following a win over Kenneth Glenn at Fury FC 60 in April of 2022, Romero spent the remainder of the year waiting for his next opportunity. Unfortunately he wasn’t able to get in another bout, but with a victory in toe the year wasn’t a wash in Romero’s eyes.
“Last year started out pretty well. I’m pretty happy with the performance I had last year,” Romero told MMAWeekly.com. “Other than that it was pretty slow in the MMA world for me.
“I didn’t really have any other fights. There was nothing really lined up for me. It was just a matter of me being patient and looking for that big opportunity. I would say it was pretty good but could have been better.”
With the time he had following April, Romero was able to work on his game, and now feels like a superior version of himself compared to the one that defeated Glenn.
“I’m well-rounded and I feel truly different than I was last year in my fight; just the IQ that I’ve built up since that last fight, I feel like I’ve grown,” said Romero. “If I would have fought myself then it would be a different world.”
This Friday in Orlando, Florida, Romero (11-1) will look to earn a shot at the next level when he faces Tony Caruso (8-1) in a main card 155-pound bout at PFL Challenger Series 2023.
“I’m excited. It’s been a while since I’ve had this big showcase,” Romero said. “The last time was the Contender Series (in 2020), so I’m excited to be able to prove why I belong with the top athletes in the world in MMA.
“(Caruso) is a great opponent standing across from me, and I’m excited for it, because when I have a strong opponent across from me I perform the best and it brings out the best in me, and I’m excited to showcase that.”
Having had to wait long stretches of time between bouts before, Romero feels it’s best to just focus on the present and not worry too much about what could be around the corner.
“I think for me after my last fight I was more looking to get something big, so it was hard to plan exactly what I wanted to do, so I like to go one fight at a time and see where it takes me,” said Romero.
Anthony Romero excited to prove why he belongs with the top athletes
