LAS VEGAS -- If Yoel Romero is secretly harboring any frustrations he's fighting Robert Whittaker (and not Michael Bisping) at UFC 213 this weekend, boy is it hard to tell.
The 40-year-old middleweight was all smiles this Fourth of July, as he checked into the MGM Grand hotel. Romero (12-1) fights for the interim 185-pound championship on Saturday. The official title remains under Bisping's control.
Few would fault Romero if he was annoyed at the situation. The former Cuban Olympic wrestler has arguably been the No. 1 contender since late 2015, but an official title shot has eluded him for multiple reasons.
But Romero, who is a devout Christian, says he's content with the opportunity before him and actually marvels at how far he's come in a short period of time.
"I started a new discipline at a pretty mature age," Romero told ESPN, through a translator. "I had to learn a lot -- and I'm still learning. From my understanding, in such a short period of time, I've reached many goals.
"In Cuba, we didn't have live TV growing up because of the system. Some way, these fights were brought to the island. Anderson Silva, Royce Gracie, Maurice Smith, Matt Serra, B.J. Penn -- I grew up watching these (fights) and I would say to myself that I had the same temperament and could fight on that level. And with all sincerity, honesty and humility, right now I am next to them."
Romero, who didn't start training mixed martial arts until after he defected to Germany in 2007, takes pride in standing alongside fighters he grew up watching. Earlier this summer, he actually almost fought one of them -- but a proposed bout with Silva fell through.
"If a man puts a lion's family in jeopardy, what would it do? Would it enjoy fighting? Of course it wouldn't, but it's going to fight. It may lose its life doing it. When you fight to give your family bread, that's not passion anymore, that's conviction." Yoel Romero
He says that's no longer why he's fighting, however. Romero won an Olympic silver medal in 2000 and he's reached the top of MMA despite not getting into it until his 30s. He says he's accomplished what he wanted.
Today, he fights for his three children. A 12-year-old boy -- whom he hasn't seen in person since he left Cuba for good in 2007 -- and two daughters, ages 7 and 8 months.
"If a man puts a lion's family in jeopardy, what would it do?" Romero asked. "Would it enjoy fighting? Of course it wouldn't, but it's going to fight. It may lose its life doing it. When you fight to give your family bread, that's not passion anymore, that's conviction."
Romero's son was an infant when he defected to Germany. He doesn't detail the reasons he fled, only saying "problems arose." When he settled in Germany, he didn't begin MMA training immediately. He had thoughts of coaching wrestling or becoming a pastor.
Memories of fighters like Silva dazzling opponents in the Octagon refused to fade away though, and by 2009, Romero was training regularly and making his pro debut. He moved to the U.S. in 2011 to train at MMA powerhouse American Top Team in Florida.
Romero's two daughters live in the Miami area, but the only interaction he has with his son is through video calls. He says he's explained to his son why he left a decade ago and that, yes, they will be reunited some day.
He smiles when he speaks of it. Any drama surrounding the difference between an interim and official middleweight title seems very far from his mind.
"A father is always going to be a hero to his son," Romero said. "But I would really like it to see him for the first time in so long with a belt to show him."