Fighter following his dream in the octagon
Mixed martial arts fighter Anthony (The Genius) Romero takes another step forward toward his goal of reaching the UFC on Sept. 15 in Niagara Falls, N.Y., but first, he has some else to attend.
The five-foot-11, 156-pound Welland native and Brock University student is the star of the A Day In The Park with Mark Frank Campion and Anthony Romero fundraiser on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Memorial Park in the Rose City. The funds raised will support Romero in his training.
“At this stage in my career, I am not close to making any money,” the Notre Dame grad said. “I enjoy it, and there is potential in the sport to become something. The fundraiser helps with training. I have been going to Oakville every day. I also go to Montreal for training. I’m spending a lot of money on my career.”
The Day in the Park will feature a tug of war between teams of seven selected and led by Romero and Mayor Frank Campion. There will also be Inflatable boxing, Freddie the Clown, face painting and vendors. The Blue Star restaurant is catering the event.
Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children — as well as donations of canned goods for the Hope Centre Food Bank.
Saturday, Sept. 15, is another leap forward for Romero, who is on a 10-fight win streak reaching back to the amateur ranks. He has only suffered one loss in his
career, and that came as an amateur.
Romero will headline the show at the Seneca Resort and Casino and put his 2-0 record as a professional on the line against Elijah (The Buffalo Soldier) Harris (3-1) of Philadelphia in a King of the Cage production
“I’m pretty excited,” he said. “My name is being promoted everywhere. It’s one step closer to getting to my goal, the UFC. I’ll start making new goals once I get there.”
Romero said his opponent Harris is primarily a wrestler, but knowing his style can only help so much.
“These days in the sport, you must be ready for anything,” Romero said. “Especial when you prepare to fight a specific person. The whole game plan can change. I have been sharpening up all my different types of martial arts — wrestling, strikinat and all that different stuff.”
Romero, a lightweight, started mixed martial arts fighting when he was 18 years old, the legal age to participate in the sport in Canada. He picked up the nickname because of the way he fights.
“In my fights, and in a lot of UFC fights, you see guys that are super aggressive,” he said. “They are hotheaded and don’t think when they fight. When I fight, I am smart and don’t get hit much.
“I like hockey and soccer and sports like that, but, in some ways, it is always the same thing.
“Mixed martial arts is a creative sport. You never know what is going to happen. A fight can finish in so many ways. That is one of the things I love about it.”