Romero vs. Bisping flag battle continues
“Would you give your life for your flag?” asked Yoel Romero. “For your country?… Same.”
UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping holds a number of league records including most fights (27), most wins (20), most fight time in the division (4:58:22), and most strikes landed (1,533). Although it is not tabulated, he is also up there for most fighters driven crazy by trash talk.
Bisping engaged in a month’s long social network squabble with whoever runs Yoel Romero’s Twitter and continued it right up to and during Romero’s fight Saturday night with Robert Whittaker. As Romero was walking back to his corner, Bisping in Vegas being Bisping in Vegas ripped up a Cuban flag.
https://twitter.com/UFCEurope/status/883911546153295874
At the post-fight press conference, Ariel Helwani asked Romero how he felt about it.
“Do you have a flag?” asked Romero.
“Yes,” replied Helwani, who is Canadian.
“Do you love it?” asked Romero.
“Yes,” said Helwani.
“Would you give your life for your flag?” asked Romero. “For your country?… Same.”
“So do you feel like he crossed the line?” asked Helwani.
Romero made a noise that is hard to characterize; he looked ready to kill.
Now Romero has followed up by burning an image of Bisping holding the Union Jack and lit a presumably Cuban cigar with it.
Whittaker won Saturday night and gets the next shot at Bisping. Romero would have to fight his way back to title contention, at which point Bisping may be happily retired. However, not every fight takes place in the Octagon.