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PFL Heavyweight

Rodrigo Nascimento VS Alexander Romanov

Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

Tale of the Tape

12-5-0, 1 NC Record 20-4-0, 1 NC
33 Age 35
193 cm Height 187 cm
203 cm Reach 190 cm
orthodox Stance southpaw
67% Finish rate 85%
17% KO rate 30%
50% Sub rate 55%

Result Summary

Alexander Romanov def. Rodrigo Nascimento Submission (guillotine choke) · R2 1:50

Heavyweight behemoths collided as Alexander Romanov took on Rodrigo Nascimento in a battle of former UFC fighters. The bout promised a clash of grappling styles, but it was Romanov who effectively imposed his will. After a brief feeling-out process on the feet, Romanov used his elite wrestling background to secure a forceful takedown. Nascimento, a capable submission grappler in his own right, tried to scramble back to his feet, but Romanov's heavy top pressure kept him pinned. In the second round, Romanov capitalized on a defensive lapse by Nascimento during a scramble. He expertly locked in a tight mounted guillotine choke, squeezing with tremendous force. Trapped and unable to escape the crushing pressure, Nascimento was forced to submit, giving Romanov a highly impressive finish.

Fight Overview

Nascimento (11‑3‑1) is a BJJ‑heavy heavyweight who has recent decision wins over Don’t Tale Mayes and Ilir Latifi in the UFC, showing durability and grappling depth. Romanov (18‑3) is a powerful wrestler with multiple submission victories and a recent decision loss to Nascimento in November 2024, indicating a close rivalry.

Keys to Victory

Rodrigo Nascimento

  1. Press the fight with his superior Brazilian Jiu‑Jitsu, looking for a takedown and ground control.
  2. Use his striking to set up grappling entries, especially body punches.
  3. Keep a high pace to out‑work Romanov’s wrestling pressure.

Last 5 fights

Rodrigo Nascimento

  1. L Oleg Popov Decision · R3 5:00 · 27 JUN 2025
  2. W Abraham Bably Decision · R3 5:00 · 1 MAY 2025
  3. L Alexander Romanov Decision · R3 5:00 · 2 NOV 2024
  4. L Derrick Lewis TKO · R3 0:49 · 11 MAY 2024
  5. W Don'Tale Mayes Decision · R3 5:00 · 4 NOV 2023

Alexander Romanov

  1. L Oleg Popov Decision · R5 5:00 · 21 AUG 2025
  2. NC Valentin Moldavsky No contest · R1 4:26 · 27 JUN 2025
  3. W Timothy Johnson Submission · R1 1:53 · 1 MAY 2025
  4. W Rodrigo Nascimento Decision · R3 5:00 · 2 NOV 2024
  5. L Jailton Almeida Submission · R1 2:27 · 1 JUN 2024

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AI-generated This analysis was generated with AI and may contain errors.

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