Bantamweights
Cortavious Romious (9-2, 0-0 UFC) vs. Gaston Bolanos (7-4, 1-1 UFC)A two-time Contender Series alum, Romious was an interesting enough flier for the UFC to take after a workmanlike win over Michael Imperato, though he might find some difficulty making hay in a deep bantamweight division. A stocky ball of muscle, Romious can read as a bit of a brawler—particularly after getting knocked out by Ramon Taveras in a firefight on his first trip to the Contender Series—but he can back things up with some wrestling and grappling to go along with his physicality. Things might eventually pop for Romious after a recent change in camps, and this pairing against Bolanos serves as a solid opportunity for him to show some progress.
A kickboxer turned Bellator MMA mainstay, Bolanos hasn’t particularly panned out through two bouts in the UFC. He has looked a bit better on the mat than expected, but his skills on the feet didn’t stand out in either an ugly win over Aaron Phillips or an eventual knockout loss to Marcus McGhee. He’s practiced enough that he could land something major on Romious, but given that the UFC newcomer can pivot to his grappling when needed, this shapes up to be a successful debut for the St. Charles MMA product. The pick is Romious via second-round submission.
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Romious vs. Bolanos
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