UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will mount his first official title defense at UFC 248 against MMA veteran Yoel Romero, according to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.
The event is scheduled to take place on March 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Adesanaya leapt to MMA stardom in October with a dominant win over then-champion Robert Whittaker, knocking out the Australian in the second round to unify the middleweight title. Adesanya got his shot at the title thanks to a classic win over Kelvin Gastelum to capture the interim belt.
The 30-year-old has found quick popularity thanks to his colorful walkouts and dances, and a strong performance against Romero would help cement him as one of the new faces of the UFC.