UFC Fight Night Hollywood Results: Yoel Romero KOs Lyoto Machida In Third Round

Cuban middleweight contender Yoel Romero made an emphatic case for a future shot at the 185-pound crown Saturday, knocking out former world champion Lyoto Machida in the third round of the UFC Fight Night main event at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla., for his 10th and most important pro win.

“I have great respect for Lyoto, and this is the fight I expected,” Romero said. “He’s a great athlete.”

Despite Romero making his home in Florida, the fans chanted for Machida as the bout opened, but followers of “The Soldier of God” made their presence known moments later. Machida utilized his kicks well in the opening round, keeping Romero at range, but when the Cuban got inside, even his less than flush shots landed with a thud that put “The Dragon” off balance.

The pace remained high in the second round, with Machida working effectively from the outside while the 38-year-old Romero stalked, throwing leg kicks in an effort to slow his foe down. As the frame progressed, Romero began to catch Machida with hard punches upstairs, his left hand being particularly bothersome for the Brazilian, who nearly got caught by a wild off-the-fence attack from Romero before the horn.