UFC 221: Romero vs. Rockhold: Robert Whittaker watches on as top contenders clash in his hometown

UFC commentator and analyst Dan Hardy looks ahead to this weekend’s event, with the UFC middleweight interim title on the line Down Under

Yoel Romero lost last time out, to Robert Whittaker (Getty)

Top contenders clash this weekend in Perth, Australia, under the watchful eye of the current UFC middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker. He will be forced to sit on the sidelines while he deals with some health setbacks that forced him out of the main event fixture.

His number one challenger is former divisional king, Luke Rockhold, who will now take on the man who fell just short of a world title in his last bout. Yoel Romero was the man that Whittaker was able to better in a close five round fight, at UFC 213 back in July of last year. Struggling with a serious knee injury throughout the bout, Whittaker was able to hold off Romero for long enough to take his foe into deeper waters. Although Yoel likely won the first couple of rounds, as he began to fade, Whittaker came on strong.

Now Romero has had time to digest his performance and possibly figure out how he could have maintained his energy throughout the 25 minute bout. His explosive power and speed of movement is exceptional, especially when you consider that this career athlete is 40 years of age. He is the fighter in the middleweight division that can change the face of the contest in a split second.

The flying knee attack that we’ve seen him use earlier in his UFC career was also on display when he took out Chris Weidman at UFC 205. With that fight-ending power, arguably the most dangerous single-shot striking in the division, he is the most risky fight at middleweight.

When Whittaker was removed from the card, Luke Rockhold was given the good news that they had immediately found a replacement. The bad news is that he now has to face Romero, in a 25 minute bout for the interim middleweight title. The holder of the interim belt is guaranteed a title shot as soon as Whittaker is healthy enough to compete. Having to deal with Yoel though is no easy task and you can bet that Rockhold was watching his last bout with Whittaker very closely. He will know that the quick-off-the-mark power is to be avoided early, and smothered late.

To try and contain and control Romero in the first couple of rounds is incredibly difficult. The best you can hope for is to make him work and avoid his obvious threats. Rockhold is a wily competitor with more professional experience. His takedown defence is strong, as a result of working with Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez for many years at the American Kickboxing Academy. Grappling is his strong suit and as the fight wears on and Romero’s conditioning beings to struggle, Rockhold can lock up any number of submissions to get the finish.

In the striking range you have to give the technical advantage to Rockhold. A more calculated striker on first appearance, he has shown an excellent ability to lay traps and set people up for the fight-ending kick. His programming of Michael Bisping in their first encounter just over three years ago saw Rockhold feed him several body kicks until Michael began reacting to, and trying to catch. At the beginning of the second round, Luke feinted another body kick and as Bisping dropped his hands, Rockhold placed his shin on the side of Michael’s head. The open target being created by that specific targeting of the midsection and watching his opponent react and take the bait.

Luke Rockhold is attempting to reclaim the UFC Middleweight Championship (Getty)

That presence of mind is what Rockhold will need for every second of this bout. He needs to stick to his safest and most familiar attacks early on, the counter right hook and powerful left kicks. As he is facing another southpaw in this fight though, he will need to alter his attack slightly. In his last bout against David Branch, we saw him go back to his orthodox stance, which he used throughout his time competing under the Strikeforce banner. This was so he could utilise the low calf kick which is gaining popularity in mixed martial arts. Against an opponent of the opposite stance, the left body kick is open all day, but as Romero is also southpaw, changing it to a lower leg strike will be the easy switch.

Romero has a bad habit of reaching to catch kicks and if Rockhold is smart, he can exploit that vulnerability. If Romero gets hold of him though, he has to be as heavy and stubborn as possible. Yoel faded against Whittaker for two reasons, from what I saw. One, Whittaker absolutely refused to accept the takedown in the first two rounds. That is important as Romero on top for the opening rounds gives him the head start, and doesn’t sap his energy. By Whittaker making him work hard for the takedown, he was visibly slower and less active as the fight progressed. The second key was to attack the body. Each time Whittaker hit Romero in the stomach with his front kick, Romero had to tense his abdominal muscles to absorb the shot.

This can be very taxing, and even more so if you aren’t prepared to receive the kick. It will knock the air out of your lungs and force you to recover your breath whilst trying to find a safe space in the Octagon. These two tactics will be effective if Rockhold employs them and all of the vulnerabilities that Rockhold can exploit will be more obvious as fatigue sets in. There is no doubt that Romero is a scary opponent for anyone, but if the right gameplan is used, he can be neutralised, just as Whittaker was able to do. The winner will then be eager to face the champion later in the year and unify the world title and interim title belts.

A local heavyweight legend sits in the co-main event spot and will be sure to get a big reaction as he makes the walk to the Octagon. An international fan favourite, Mark Hunt is an echo of the old-school UFC days. His heavy-handed style is formidable, and coupled with his experience and willingness to scrap, Hunt has remained near the top of the ladder for many years.

Owner of the best walk-off knockouts in MMA, the effortless power he produces gives him the confidence to leave his opponent alone when they have fallen to the canvas. Knowing from experience that the likelihood of them getting back up is pretty slim.

He will take on rising heavyweight wrestler, Curtis Blaydes. A young man making waves in the division, for his size, athletic ability and wrestling credentials. Now settled at Team Elevation, alongside Neil Magny, Blaydes is adding to his skill set on a daily basis. Wrestling is an excellent foundation for the sport, and a fast learner can easily bolt on some finishing skills to round out their game.

Hunt has been stopping takedowns throughout his whole career, but these young prospects at heavyweight are getting bigger and faster. Experience goes a long way in the heaviest division in the UFC, and Hunt will have to draw on that to slow Curtis' roll. If Blaydes can stay away from those clubbing punches he could return to the US with the biggest win of his career.

Watch UFC 221: Romero vs. Rockhold live on BT Sport 2 from 1am GMT early on Sunday, February 11, or catch the Early Prelims exclusively on UFC Fight Pass from 11:30pm GMT on Saturday