UFC contenders Yoel Romero and Kelvin Gastelum meet New York City FC stars David Villa, Andrea Pirlo and Patrick Vieira
During their trip to The Big Apple UFC 205 stars Yoel Romero and Kelvin Gastelum caught up with New York City FC superstars David Villa, Andrea Pirlo and head coach Patrick Vieira
TWO of the stars of UFC 205 took the opportunity to catch up with a trio of footballing big hitters in New York this week.
UFC middleweight contender Yoel Romero and welterweight contender Kelvin Gastelum visited Major League Soccer side New York City FC during their stay in The Big Apple.
And while they were there, they met with three of the team's biggest stars, Spanish World Cup and European Championship winner , Italian midfield legend and French World Cup winner and New York City FC head coach .
Romero and Gastelum will be hoping a little of the New York trio's stardust will have rubbed off on them as they prepare for their November 12 bouts against Chris Weidman and Donald Cerrone respectively.
Both fighters have designs on fighting their way towards the title in their respective weight classes.
And when it comes to collecting championships, there aren't many better in the MLS than Messrs Villa, Pirlo and Vieira.
Villa's exploits in front of goal have made him the all-time leading goalscorer for the Spanish national team, racked up an incredible 59 goals in 97 international appearances, as well as the UEFA Champions League, the European Championships and the World Cup.
Italian icon Pirlo has amassed six Scudetto titles in Serie A, two UEFA Champions League titles and claimed the World Cup with Italy in 2006.
And former Premier League star Vieira's CV stacks up just as impressively, with three Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three Scudetto titles and winners medals with France in the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championships.
Both Romero and Gastelum have plenty of experience of top-level success themselves as they've fought their way towards the top of their respective weight classes in the UFC.
Romero is a former Olympic silver medallist and world champion in freestyle wrestling, while Gastelum ran out the winner of the 17th season of The Ultimate Fighter, with the only two defeats of his mixed martial arts career coming via split decision.
And huge football fan Romero was like a kid on Christmas Day as the pair watched the New York City stars go through their paces at a training session, then met the trio at pitchside.
"That's Patrick Vieira!" exclaimed the excitable Cuban as the New York City FC head coach arrived on the training pitch. "He's an animal!"
The middleweight contender looked genuinely starstruck when the French World Cup winner came over for a chat with the two UFC stars.
And Vieira admitted he'd have to give his former chairman at City - and current UFC chief brand officer - Garry Cook a call to make sure he can get tickets to watch UFC 205 live.
