Hometown hero Chris Weidman returned to the UFC Octagon for the first time in nearly a year as he battled Yoel Romero in the second fight on the main card.

Unsurprisingly, Romero entered to jeers and boos as walked to the cage surrounded both sides by security. 
  
Weidman, the only resident New Yorker on the card, walked to the Octagon with the stars and stripes held aloft and as expected he got an incredible reaction from the Madison Square Garden crowd as they all rose to their feet.

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After the introductions were made the action got underway and it was Weidman who took the initiative early, using leg and body kicks to keep Romero at distance. The pattern continued until Weidman looked for a single leg and briefly put the Cuban down. Romero got back to his feet in seconds but Weidman was straight back on him with kicks and tiff jab that landed.

Romero eventually opened up after four minutes landing a stiff punch, but he continued to look tentative as Weidman again briefly down with a single leg. Romero again rose quickly but the round played out with the American easily getting the better of it.

Round two began with Weidman again looking for a single leg. This time, Romero stuffed it and replied with his own stiff jab to rock the American’s head back.

Romero then caught Weidman with an inside leg kick to dip his feet temporarily as things began to look a lot more evenly matched on the feet.

The Cuban landed a stiff kick to the ribs but Weidman caught it and attempted to counter with a headkick that was blocked. Romero then dominated the rest of the round as he slammed Weidman to the mat and briefly landed strikes on him as he rose to his feet.

Many Octagonside had it scored evenly heading into the third but the judges weren’t needed for this one.

Romero landed a sickening flying knee to send Weidman down to the mat as blood instantly gushed from his mouth and nose. Romero swarmed and followed up with strikes but the referee quickly dove into to call and end to the fight.

The Cuban jumped out the cage in celebration and proceeded to call Michael Bisping out on the mic. UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping was in the Fox Sports studios in the stands and was shown on camera flipping the birds as Romero continued to taunt him from the Octagon.