Gaston Bolaños and Cortavious Romious delivered an action-packed bout in bantamweight competition at UFC Vegas 100. Initially set for the undercard, their fight was bumped up to the main event after a few other matchups were canceled. Bolaños, a former Bellator fighter, came into this clash looking for his second win in the UFC, while Romious made his promotional debut fresh off a win on Dana White’s Contender Series.
The first round kicked off with both fighters trading heavy kicks, exploiting the openings created by their open stance—Gaston Bolaños in orthodox and Romious in southpaw. Romious made a strong statement early with an explosive slam that brought the fight to the ground. Eager to capitalize, he went for an armbar, but Bolaños defended well, slipping out of the submission and getting back on his feet. For the rest of the round, Bolaños kept up a steady pace, landing clean strikes and staying active. Although it looked like he might have been hurt toward the end, it turned out to be a stumble rather than a knockdown. The round likely leaned in favor of Bolaños, 10-9.
Gaston Bolaños Outlasts Cortavious Romious at UFC Vegas 100
In round two, Romious came out again with his grappling-heavy approach, managing another slam and even taking Bolaños’ back in pursuit of a rear-naked choke. But Bolaños proved resilient, fending off the choke attempts and eventually finding his way out. Once he got back to his feet, Bolaños picked up the pace, out-striking Romious with accuracy and intensity. Romious controlled the first half of the round, but Bolaños’ strikes caused more visible damage, edging him ahead again with another likely 10-9 round.
The third round saw Romious continue to hunt for grappling exchanges, attempting a calf-slicer that put Bolaños on his back. Bolaños countered with a triangle choke attempt that allowed him to reverse the position, putting Romious on the bottom. Both fighters looked tired, with strikes slowing down and takedowns coming a bit easier. In the last minute, Romious landed a takedown, but Bolaños seemed confident in his lead and chose to close his guard, limiting the risk and letting the time run out.
It was a hard-fought win for Bolaños, who handled Romious’ grappling pressure while showcasing his striking skills and composure. The fight was an impressive display of both fighters’ abilities, leaving fans excited to see what’s next for them in the octagon.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
