UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero 2 | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Dana Black
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
Introduction
UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero 2 — June 9, 2018, United Center, Chicago. 18,117 fans, gate of $2,550,000, an estimated 250,000 PPV buys. The night arrived already compromised: Yoel Romero weighed 186.0 lbs on his first attempt at the 185 lb middleweight limit, came back at 185.2 lbs in extra time, and was declared non-title by the Illinois commission at the one-hour mark. He was fined 30% of his purse — approximately $150,000 — payable to Whittaker. His previous miss had come at UFC 221 against Luke Rockhold, making this the second consecutive title-adjacent bout he had failed to make weight for.
What followed inside the cage more than compensated for the pre-fight controversy. Robert Whittaker, who became undisputed champion when Georges St-Pierre vacated after UFC 217, broke his right hand on Romero’s skull in round one and concealed the fracture from his corner and opponent for the rest of the fight. He was dropped twice — in rounds three and five — and rose both times to earn a split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47). Post-fight X-rays confirmed the break. For the broader context of this mid-2018 run, see UFC 223 and UFC 224.
Quick Stats
📅 Date: June 9, 2018
📍 Venue: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
👥 Attendance: 18,117 | Gate: $2,550,000 | PPV: ~250,000 buys
📺 Broadcast: Pay-Per-View (FS1 prelims)
🏆 Main Event: Whittaker vs. Romero 2 — MW Championship (non-title; Romero 185.2 lb)
✅ Result: Whittaker def. Romero via Split Decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) R5 5:00
🥇 Champion: Robert Whittaker retained the UFC Middleweight Championship
The Build-Up
The rivalry began at UFC 213 in July 2017, where Whittaker won the interim middleweight title over Romero by split decision in one of the year’s best fights. After GSP vacated at UFC 217, Whittaker became undisputed champion. Romero had built a case for a rematch through dominant wins, but then undermined it by missing weight at UFC 221 against Rockhold, raising serious questions about whether he could legitimately compete at 185 lbs. Chicago was his second chance to answer those questions — and he arrived at the scale at 186.0 lbs.
The co-main slot saw Colby Covington — moved from the UFC 224 card — paired with former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos for the interim welterweight title. The UFC 225 main card also featured Holly Holm, Tai Tuivasa, and CM Punk, making his second and final Octagon appearance. Chicago was Punk’s home city, which added genuine emotional weight to whatever conclusion the night brought him.
Main Event — Whittaker vs. Romero 2
Robert Whittaker (c) vs. Yoel Romero — Middleweight Championship (Non-Title)
Even more violent than UFC 213 from the opening exchange. Whittaker fractured his right hand on Romero’s skull in round one and concealed the injury from his corner and opponent for the rest of the fight. He adjusted tactically — throwing fewer right hands, working in the clinch, relying on footwork — and Romero never suspected. In round three, a Romero right hand dropped Whittaker hard. The United Center went quiet. In round five, a left hook put him down again. Both times Whittaker rose.
The split decision — 48-47, 47-48, 48-47 for Whittaker — sparked immediate debate. Two judges rewarded Whittaker’s output and early round control; one scored the knockdowns as decisive for Romero. Post-fight X-rays confirmed the right-hand fracture. Whittaker described the sensation as feeling like “a bag of chips” in his fist when it broke. He competed four rounds with one functional hand, through two knockdowns, and retained the title. Whatever the scorecards said, the performance defined his tenure as champion.
Co-Main Event — Covington vs. dos Anjos
Colby Covington vs. Rafael dos Anjos — Interim UFC Welterweight Championship
Covington was dominant across all five rounds. His relentless wrestling pressure, willingness to take punishment to complete takedowns, and non-stop volume overwhelmed dos Anjos, who struggled to find range to land his counters cleanly. The judges scored it unanimously for Covington, and he left Chicago as the interim UFC Welterweight Champion.
The real narrative of Covington’s title, though, was what it set in motion. Undisputed WW champion Tyron Woodley waited as the UFC navigated the politics of a unification fight. Covington’s persona made promotion difficult despite his results, and the unification was delayed to late 2019. For the welterweight title context that preceded this fight, see our UFC 214 profile.
Full Results
Main Card
Whittaker def. Romero — Split Dec (48-47,47-48,48-47) | R5 5:00 | MW title retained (non-title)
Covington def. dos Anjos — Unanimous Dec | R5 5:00 | Interim WW Championship
Holm def. Anderson — Unanimous Dec | R3 | Women’s FW
Tuivasa def. Arlovski — TKO | R1 | Heavyweight
CM Punk vs. Jackson — No Contest | orig. Jackson UD 30-26×3; overturned 2021
Preliminary Card
Blaydes def. Overeem — TKO (G&P) | R3 | HW
Gadelha def. Esparza — UD | R3 | WSW
Bektic def. Lamas — UD | R3 | FW
Smith def. Evans — KO | R1 | LHW
Oliveira def. Guida — Sub (RNC) | R1 | LW
Pettis def. Benavidez — UD | R3 | BW
De la Rocha def. Coulter — TKO | R3 | HW
Ige def. Santiago — TKO | R1 | FW
Bonuses & Awards
🏅 Fight of the Night ($100,000): Whittaker vs. Romero 2. Romero’s weight miss made him ineligible for post-fight bonuses, so Whittaker collected the entire $100,000 unshared — a rare circumstance in UFC bonus history.
⚡ Performance of the Night ($50,000 each): Curtis Blaydes for his R3 TKO of Alistair Overeem in the HW prelim, and Charles Oliveira for his R1 rear-naked choke of Clay Guida on the Fight Pass card.
Records & Milestones
Romero became the first UFC fighter to miss the championship weight limit in consecutive title-adjacent MW bouts, following his miss at UFC 221 against Rockhold. Anthony Smith’s KO effectively ended Rashad Evans’ career; Evans retired shortly after. Oliveira added to the deepest submission record in UFC history. CM Punk’s official record became 0-1-1 NC after the 2021 overturn. For the broader divisional context, see UFC 218 and UFC 220.
Legacy & Impact
Whittaker’s broken-hand, two-knockdown championship performance is the defining image of his UFC career and one of the sport’s most celebrated examples of championship toughness. The win was complicated by everything surrounding it — the non-title designation, the disputed scorecards, the Romero weight drama — but none of that diminishes what Whittaker physically endured inside the cage that night.
Covington’s interim title win launched the WW division’s most complicated unification saga, rooted in the era our UFC 214 profile covers. UFC 225 belongs alongside UFC 218 and UFC 220 in any serious account of mid-2018 — a run that reshaped three divisions heading into the second half of the year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Yoel Romero win UFC 225?
No — 2-1 for Whittaker (48-47, 47-48, 48-47). Even if Romero had won every scorecard, his weight miss had already voided his title eligibility before the opening bell. This was his second consecutive miss in a title-adjacent MW bout, following UFC 221.
Why was the main event a non-title fight?
Romero weighed 186.0 lbs on his first attempt and 185.2 lbs after extra time — both above the 185 lb championship limit. The Illinois State Athletic Commission declared the fight non-title at the one-hour mark and fined Romero 30% of his purse (approximately $150,000), payable to Whittaker.
What injury did Robert Whittaker sustain?
Whittaker fractured his right hand on Romero’s skull in round one and competed through the fracture for four more rounds, surviving two knockdowns without revealing the injury to his corner or opponent. Post-fight X-rays confirmed the break. He described the sensation as feeling like “a bag of chips” in his fist when it broke.
What happened with CM Punk at UFC 225?
Mike Jackson defeated CM Punk by unanimous decision (30-26 on all three scorecards), after which Punk retired. In July 2021, the Illinois DFPR disclosed that Jackson had tested positive for a prohibited substance on fight night — a result unreported for nearly three years. The fight was overturned to a no-contest.
Who won the interim welterweight title at UFC 225?
Colby Covington by unanimous decision over Rafael dos Anjos. See our UFC 214 profile for the full welterweight title context.
Who received the UFC 225 post-fight bonuses?
Fight of the Night: Robert Whittaker, $100,000 (Romero ineligible due to the weight miss). Performance of the Night: Curtis Blaydes, $50,000 (R3 TKO Overeem); and Charles Oliveira, $50,000 (R1 RNC Guida).
References
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