Time slows down even the fiercest fighters—well, most of them. But Yoel Romero at 47? He must have found the cheat code because he’s still a beast! The former UFC veteran recently debuted on the new combat sports promotion Dirty Boxing Championship, also called DBX. His opponents? 6-foot-6-inch Ras Hylton, who ate a grisly knockout shot from the Cuban mixed martial artist.
If ‘Dirty Boxing’ sounds foreign, you aren’t alone! The new boxing promotion combines the elegance of boxing and the ferocity of mixed martial arts. However, these fights do not allow grappling, forcing the fighters to rely mostly on their fists. Regardless, Romero headlined the Dirty Boxing 1 event on Saturday night in Miami, kicking off the promotion’s first event spectacularly.
A picture-perfect knockout
Earlier today, Happy Punch took to X, sharing the clip of Romero’s brutal knockout. “Yoel Romero just finished his 6’6, size 26 shoe opponent on Dirty Boxing,” they captioned the post. The footage perfectly showcased why Romero is the ideal representative for the promotion. In the final moments of round three, the UFC veteran systematically broke Hylton down with punishing body shots before going upstairs to deliver the fight-ending blow.
Yoel Romero just finished his 6’6, size 26 shoe opponent on Dirty Boxing pic.twitter.com/MCUAxgu7Jk
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) March 23, 2025
It’s worth noting that the event came on the heels of the major announcement that current UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is now a co-owner of the promotion. It was initially owned by BKFC star and former UFC fighter Mike Perry. Nonetheless, after the clip started making the rounds on social media, it didn’t take the combat world long to marvel over Romero’s power even at 47, as they started poking fun at Romero’s opponent.
Yoel Romero continues to put the fear of god in opponents
Romero has been in several promotions throughout his career, and everywhere the 2000 Olympic silver medalist went he dominated. So, it wasn’t really a surprise for most people that even a 6-foot-6-inch giant was no match for the Cuban. One user branded Romero an alien for his skills this late in his life. “Yoel Romero is not from this planet,” the user commented. He has long been praised for extraordinary physical conditioning and explosive athleticism, which is the direct result of his genetics, relentless training, and an almost superhuman work ethic.
Meanwhile, this user poked fun at Ras Hylton, noting Romero turned him into a human punching bag. “Yoel Romero turned that giant into a human punching bag faster than a liberal runs from a tax cut,” the user commented. Romero was often feared for his Olympic-caliber grappling pedigree, but it appears striking alone is enough for the ‘Soldier of God.’
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 07: Israel Adesanya vs. Yoel Romero fighting during the UFC 248 on March 07, 2020, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by Louis Grasse/PX Images/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Another user perfectly explained why Yoel Romero has become such a formidable fighter. “There was a time where I genuinely feared for the health of every fighter in the UFC [who] had to fight Yoel Romero because even the people who beat him had to survive the craziest fights,” the user wrote. However, what’s even more interesting is that Romero is doing this when most fighters are well into their retirement.
Someone else wasn’t too kind to Romero’s opponent. “Dude’s body gave out like I can’t hold this mof**ka up no more ,” the user wrote. Like Romero, Ras Hylton has been part of several MMA promotions, but Romero proved to be the superior fighter.
The next user seemed to sympathize with Hylton. “Poor guy.. had to fight the Cuban wolverine,” the user noted. Hylton’s physical attributes alone had given him the advantage, but it wasn’t enough to take down Romero.
That said, it appears Yoel Romero is continuing his dominant resurgence in the combat world after leaving the UFC in 2020, where most thought his best days were behind him. What did you think of Romero’s brutal knockout?
The post “Not From This Planet”: UFC Vet Yoel Romero Sets Internet Ablaze With KO of 6′6″ Giant at Dirty Boxing 1 appeared first on EssentiallySports.