Yoel Romero (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
At 47, Yoel Romero is still an insanely powerful athlete with devastating KO power. The 6-foot-6-inch Ras Hylton found that out firsthand on Saturday night in Miami for Dirty Boxing 1.
In case you haven’t heard, Dirty Boxing Championship, aka DBX, is a new combat sport and promotion that combines boxing and MMA without the grappling. Romero headlined this major event that was boosted by the recent announcement that UFC great and current heavyweight champion Jon Jones is now co-owner of the promotion with Mike Perry.
Romero wasted no time showing why he is the kind of fighter that fits well with DBX’s vibe. Take a look as he systematically breaks Hylton down with body shots before going to the head for the finish.
One fan posted: “Beast.”
Another said: “Yoel defying age yet again.”
Full Send MMA posted a hilarious comment about the size of Hylton’s shoes which were further spotlighted because they’re bright red.
In case you’re wondering, Hylton is a 37-year-old mixed martial artist with a 10-8 record in that sport. He goes by the nickname “Rasquatch the Jamaican Shamrock.”
While he’s fought mostly for smaller promotions, he does have a 1-1 record with Bellator and 0-1 with the Professional Fighters League.
In any case, he proved to be no match for Romero’s skill and athleticism. It’s hard to believe this man is 47 years old.
As for DBX fighters, the athletes wear five-ounce gloves and are allowed to use punches of all kinds, including spinning backfists as well as elbows, forearms, palm strikes, and standing ground and pound. They aren’t allowed to kick, knee, or use takedowns as a part of their attack.
The sport is seemingly designed to cater to the combat sport fan who doesn’t want to see the grappling associated with MMA, but would prefer to see more action and striking variation than traditional boxing.
We did see a few guys bending or breaking those rules on Saturday, but there was no doubt the fans in attendance were entertained. On a night that saw a UFC event finish with no knockouts, the DBX card delivered several.
Also on the card, former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski scored a TKO win over Terrance Hodges when the latter couldn’t continue due to a bad cut from the former’s elbows.
The caliber of athletes involved isn’t the same, and the names headlining the shows are mostly guys who are past their primes. Still, Perry, Jones, and others involved may have something here.
DBX feels like the wild cousin of boxing, bare knuckle, and mixed martial arts that could capture a piece of the market. As is the case with most sports, it’s going to come down to star power.
If DBX can build and attract meaningful names, they will have a chance to explode. That’s the issue BKFC has to get past if it is going to take the next step. Right now, the biggest name associated with the promotion is former UFC champion and current part-owner Conor McGregor.
At some point, it’ll need someone or a group of fighters to step up as the face(s) of the promotion. The same can be said for DBX. However, DBX has piqued my interest.
It’ll be interesting to see how long Romero can continue to compete, but he could be an important piece during the promotion’s early stages.
