Two major MMA promotions reportedly not interested in Yoel Romero following his UFC release

Yoel Romero was cut by UFC with three fights left on his contract. UFC President Dana White cited his age and the fact that he has lost four of his last five fights as the reason he got cut.

What Dana White ignored was the fact that four of those five fights happened to be title fights (or were at least scheduled to be) and one was a No.1 Contender's fight. Yoel Romero never took a step down in competition, but his last performance against Israel Adesanya may have sealed his fate.

Ultimately, Dana White stated that there were going to be around 60 cuts in the UFC and it was a "tough part of the job". Just like Anderson Silva, Yoel Romero may not immediately jump ship to the UFC's top competitors.

Per Ariel Helwani on the DC & Helwani show, Bellator and PFL are two major promotions that currently have no interest in signing Yoel Romero.

Ariel on Yoel Romero: Surprisingly, I'm told Bellator not interested. I'm told PFL not interested.#DCandHelwani

— Jed I. Goodman (@jedigoodman) December 7, 2020

There does, however, appear to be interest from Bare Knuckle Fight Championship (BKFC).

Why aren't Bellator and PFL interested in Yoel Romero?

There's little doubt that the situation would be different had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic. While it's possible that UFC wouldn't have released him, to begin with, there likely would be interest from Bellator and PFL.

At least this isn't the case of Anderson Silva where several promotions publicly stated that they weren't interested in signing him - lowering his value and his bargaining power. After UFC stated that they wouldn't allow Anderson SIlva to fight in the promotion again, other competitors seemingly got on the same boat.

However, in the case of Yoel Romero, it's highly possible that they simply can't afford to splash the cash on him right now. Yoel Romero would be one of the most expensive stars on either roster.