Crushing leg kicks and evasive, risk-averse movement carried Adesanya to a unanimous decision over Romero and allowed him to retain his undisputed middleweight championship in the UFC 248 headliner on March 7, 2020 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Scores were 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46, all for the City Kickboxing lynchpin, who remained undefeated amid a chorus of boos from a crowd disappointed by passivity from both men. The striking totals were anemic for a five-round fight: Adesanya was 48-for-132, while Romero went 40-for-89. Romero connected with more impactful head shots—they included an overhand left in the first round that stopped the champion in his tracks—but they were too few and far between to make a difference on the scorecards.
Rivalries: Israel Adesanya
