September 24, (THEWILL) – Yoel Romero made sure Melvin Manhoef would not have a joyful finish on Friday night, in what was to be Manhoef’s final fight.
In the co-main event of Bellator 285 at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland, “The Soldier of God” decisively defeated Manhoef in the third round. After two regulated rounds, Romero (15-6) increased his pressure in Round 3, knocking his 46-year-old opponent to the ground along the fence before launching a barrage of powerful punches and elbows that eventually knocked Manhoef out.
The last round’s official stoppage time was 3:34 after which Manhoef then declared his retirement from MMA, symbolically taking his gloves off and resting them down in the center of the cage.
Taking career and retirement, Manhoef said: “I didn’t want to fight a nobody. I wanted to fight names, and I did the best that I could. For 28 years, I’m doing this, this is what I love, and I appreciate all the support that you gave me. But today, I think I have to hang up the gloves after 28 years of fighting. Thanks for the support, you make my life great, you let me feel alive.”
Manhoef’s MMA record of 32-16-1 includes knockout victories against Mark Hunt, Kazushi Sakuraba, Kazuo Misaki, and other opponents. He began competing in MMA in 1995.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
