Yoel Romero is still dangerous at the age of 47 and it shows. He showed his full prowess in the main event of Mike Perry’s Dirty Boxing Championship on Saturday. One person he had the full attention of with his KO is UFC heavyweight Jon Jones.
Romero’s participation in the event was under wraps until Friday. He surprised the combat sports community by weighing in for the heavyweight headliner. Romero, who was last on the undercard of PFL vs. Bellator with a decision win over Thiago Santos, had main event duties. The hulking UFC veteran moved up to heavyweight to face former Power Slap competitor Duane Crespo. It looked like a layup for ‘Soldier of God.’
The eight-fight card featured saw UFC champ Jon Jones, Power Slap’s Paige VanZant and more in attendance. It featured a ruleset that allowed punches and elbows from the clinch, as well as strikes on a downed opponent. One just knows “12-6” Tick Bones was all in favor for such a rule; safe to say he was also enjoying it. Check out his full reaction to Yoel Romero in the footage below:
I think it’s safe to say @jonnybones is enjoying himself at #DirtyBoxing pic.twitter.com/Y9fDG4XUyt
— Dirty Boxing Championship (@DirtyBoxing_) November 24, 2024
OUT COLD ☠️@YoelRomeroMMA takes out Duane Crespo on round one #dirtyboxing pic.twitter.com/cXejA47D9g
— Dirty Boxing Championship (@DirtyBoxing_) November 24, 2024
Jon Jones was in disbelief after Yoel Romero’s knockout at @DirtyBoxing_ 😭
🎥 @gifdsports pic.twitter.com/fOFzHpWAUH
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 24, 2024
The multi-time UFC title challenger, and four-fight Bellator veteran, often billed as a genetic beast, picked up his second win in 2024. The 47-year-old has now won four of his last five — including back-to-back third-round KOs of Melvin Manhoef and Alex Polizzi. Before this, the UFC standout touted wins over Lyoto Machida, Chris Weidman, and Luke Rockhold. After this, the stock into one Yoel Romero and Dirty Boxing has increased quite a few folds.
What is Dirty Boxing?
BKFC’s poster boy and alleged ‘King of Violence’ Mike Perry knows the know-how of action with his fists and brash demeanor. Case in point, the UFC veteran and BKFC star faced jail time for DUI after a crossover boxing stint for DAZN Pay-per-view (PPV). Perry holds his fame with a very much viral TKO of Thiago Alves at the BKFC “KnuckleMania” 4 headliner in bare-knuckle boxing. Hence comes the new template where contenders are to follow a boxing-esque grind but get down and dirty.
Find out more about Mike Perry’s Dirty Boxing (Source: X)So what’s this new sport that has fans clamoring with the return of Yoel Romero to the fit? “Dirty boxing” means unarmed fighting using a combination of traditional boxing and other hand striking techniques. Perry’s foray into boxing with Jake Paul did not end well. Paul won his eight-round cruiserweight battle for DAZN pay-per-view with a sixth-round TKO. But boxing and bare-knuckle striking is all he knows and veers to; so it’s a ‘dont fix if ain’t broken’ kind of situation.
The Dirty Boxing Rules
1. Fighters will wear 5oz gloves
2. Conditional Ground and pound is allowed
3. Elbows are allowed
4. Fights are contested in 3 rounds, each lasting 3 mins
5. Main Events will have 5 rounds, each lasting 3 mins
6. A customised ring will be used pic.twitter.com/21NXXEF2xY— Dirty Boxing Championship (@DirtyBoxing_) September 11, 2024
Subject to some applicable limitations, DBC allows a fighter to implement ground-and-pound on a downed rival. However, there are no grapples or submission once on the ground, per Co-founder Mike Perry. Without pulling gaurd or twisting limbs, open palm striking and shot-finishers are endgame at Dirty Boxing. 5oz gloves do the job, under the watchful eyes of a presiding commission.
It uses a 18ft vintage boxing ring suitable for close quarter combats, with action going in around DRING™ fighting area. All standup techinques like Ridge-hand, backfists, forearm, palm-strikes and elbow strikes are legal for the mode of this combat.
