UFC 213 Cheat Sheet: Yoel Romero vs. Robert Whittaker

— -- For a second consecutive year, female bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes will headline the UFC's International Fight Week summer event inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

She'll do so opposite a familiar foe in Valentina Shevchenko, whom she defeated via unanimous decision in March 2016.

In the co-main event, Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker will meet for an interim middleweight title, as current champion Michael Bisping watches from the sideline with an injured knee.

Here's everything you need to know about this weekend's event, courtesy of ESPN's Cheat Sheets: UFC 213 edition.

Yoel Romero (12-1) vs. Robert Whittaker (18-4), Interim Middleweight Championship

Odds: Whittaker -135; Romero 115

Following his last fight, a TKO win over Chris Weidman in November that earned ESPN's 2016 Knockout of the Year, Yoel Romero looked up to a Madison Square Garden booth where champion Michael Bisping was standing and said, "See you soon, boy."

Five months later, Whittaker proclaimed his desire for a title bout after a spectacular knockout of Ronaldo Souza in Kansas City. "Bisping owes me a fight," he said in his postfight interview. "You owe me a fight, man."

In the end, neither middleweight got his shot at Bisping, but Saturday's interim title fight might be (fingers crossed) just the matchup to bring clarity to the 185-pound division.

That weight class has been in flux ever since Bisping, 38, won the title in shocking fashion by knocking out? Luke Rockhold at UFC 199 in June 2016. Bisping has fought only once since, taking a decision win over Dan Henderson, who immediately retired afterward.

Meanwhile, Rockhold has not fought at all, due equally to injury and discontent with UFC matchmaking. Romero sat on the sideline demanding an interim title, which the UFC initially said it wouldn't create. Former champion Anderson Silva laid into the promotion two months ago, also for refusing to create an interim title.

Although storm clouds still loom ahead, with Bisping claiming he'd like to face formerly retired welterweight champion? Georges St-Pierre?next, the UFC's decision to award an interim title has at least gotten things moving again.

And even though Bisping will certainly do his share of mocking the interim belt this weekend, both Romero and Whittaker seem content to ignore him for now.

"My expectation is to win the fight, whatever happens, and to bring that victory back to Miami," said Romero, when asked what his hopes are after the fight.

To the same question, Whittaker, of Sydney, responded, "I haven't thought about it, and I'm focusing my attention solely on Yoel."

Romero is riding an eight-fight winning streak. Whittaker has won seven in a row. It's one of the most meaningful matchups in middleweight MMA right now, if not? the most meaningful one. For at least one night Saturday, it will feel as if things are moving again.

Breakdown: Romero, 40, is a high-intensity/low-intensity middleweight. He can be almost lackadaisically inactive, almost frustratingly so, and then bang, the guy pounces. You have to be ready for those extreme changes in tempo.

You take that explosive style and couple it with Romero's age, and it's worth wondering how his cardio will hold up in a five-round fight. Romero has shown evidence of fatigue before, although it somehow rarely affects his performance. He has never fought past the third round, and in the event this goes the distance, Whittaker's steady offensive output just plays better on scorecards than Romero's outbursts.

All that said, it's not easy to set a high pace on Romero. His feints keep you honest, he's a dangerous counter puncher and, of course, he's an Olympic silver-medalist wrestler with the ability to plant an overaggressive opponent.

At 26, Whittaker is impressively polished. He has a pretty traditional, technical approach on the feet -- jab, lead left hook, strong outside leg kick. He has natural punching power, even as a former welterweight. He's also extremely composed. He had a wizard on his back during his last fight against Souza, and he never panicked. He calmly defended and worked out of the position.

His offensive ground game is probably underrated, including very mean ground-and-pound abilities, but that's not likely to play much of a factor here. Romero is a cat on the canvas, nearly impossible to take down or keep on his back.

Another area Whittaker probably doesn't get enough credit for is athleticism. He doesn't have the chiseled physique of Romero, but he moves very well for a middleweight. There are also just some guys who seem to have this uncanny awareness in the pocket, and Whittaker falls into that category. He slips and rolls with punches well and has a knack for meeting his opponent's momentum with his hook.

This matchup is about Whittaker claiming the center of the cage and maintaining that middle distance where his boxing is effective, but he can also defend Romero's attempt at a clinch. Romero's grappling strength is undeniable. He has thrown previous opponents around in there. Whittaker needs this to be a little stuffy, where Romero's speed won't mean as much, but he can't afford for it to be a grappling match.

Prediction: Whittaker TKO, third round