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Moldova Alexander Romanov has transitioned from a decorated freestyle wrestler and sumo silver medalist to a professional mixed martial artist, competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Professional Fighters League (PFL). He is known for strong grappling and submission skills.
Alexander Romanov secured a unanimous decision victory over Rodrigo Nascimento at UFC Edmonton. The Moldovan heavyweight was removed from the promotion's roster just 48 hours later.
Offering a genuine piece of UFC history, this fight-issued jersey was worn and signed by Alexander Romanov. It was specifically from UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Albazi.
An Instagram post promoting the prelims of UFC 302, featuring top heavyweight prospect Alexander Romanov (malhadinho_ufc) versus Jailton Almeida. It highlights the co-main event settling a longtime feud.
In an interview with UFC.com, Romanov discussed his upcoming debut before facing de Lima in the second fight of the ESPN+ Prelims at UFC Vegas 9.
Alexander Romanov discusses putting a painful foul in the rearview mirror and fixing his sights on securing a PFL title, noting his preference for the PFL format after his UFC contract.
Alexander Romanov, born on December 11, 1990, in Comrat, Moldova, initiated his athletic journey at age seven by training in freestyle wrestling. His wrestling career included four Moldovan World Teams (two senior, two junior) and eight European Teams (five senior, three age-group). A significant achievement was a bronze medal at the 2016 World University Championships. Romanov also briefly competed in sumo, earning a silver medal at the OPEN European Cup in 2016. He pursued higher education, studying at the law faculty of Comrat State University and the pedagogical faculty of Chișinău Sport Institute. Romanov’s early martial arts training involved Muay Thai under coach Chelsea Edward, who introduced him to MMA.
Romanov’s professional mixed martial arts career began in Moldova, where he accumulated an undefeated record of 11 wins and became the Eagles Fighting Championship Heavyweight Champion. He signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on October 3, 2019. His UFC debut, initially scheduled for April 25, 2020, was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Romanov eventually made his successful UFC debut on September 12, 2020, defeating Roque Martinez via arm-triangle choke. He subsequently earned a “Performance of the Night” bonus for a victory against Marcos Rogério de Lima on November 7, 2020, utilizing a forearm choke. Later, on April 17, 2021, Romanov secured a technical split decision win against Juan Espino, followed by a TKO victory over Jared Vanderaa on October 9, 2021. He also won against Chase Sherman via keylock submission on April 30, 2022. Romanov recorded a unanimous decision win over Blagoy Ivanov on July 1, 2023, and another unanimous decision win against Rodrigo Nascimento on November 2, 2024. He departed the UFC roster on November 5, 2024.
In January 2025, Romanov signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), joining the 2025 PFL Heavyweight Tournament. He achieved a submission victory by guillotine choke against Timothy Johnson in the quarterfinals on May 1, 2025. In the semifinals on June 27, 2025, a no-contest with Valentin Moldavsky led to his advancement to the tournament final. Romanov faced Oleg Popov in the final on August 21, 2025, where he lost by split decision. Throughout his career, Romanov has been recognized for his strong wrestling background and effective grappling.
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