Yoel Romero knocks out Alex Nicholson at Jorge Masvidal's bare-knuckle event

Yoel Romero added another highlight-reel finish to his career on May 2, 2026, knocking out Alex Nicholson in just 70 seconds at a Jorge Masvidal Gamebred bare-knuckle MMA event.

Romero, 49, known as the Soldier of God, secured the finish by taking Nicholson to the ground and landing a single devastating punch to the jaw that reportedly broke it, forcing Nicholson to tap. The Cuban-born fighter, now competing out of American Top Team and carrying a 13-5 record, has continued to show elite finishing ability well into his late forties. A southpaw standing six feet tall with a 73-inch reach, Romero has historically connected on 49 percent of his significant strikes and averages 1.57 takedowns per 15 minutes — both tools he put to use in this finish.

Nicholson, nicknamed The Spartan, entered the bout at 36 years old representing American Top Team Orlando with a 7-4 record in mixed martial arts. The six-foot-four Orthodox fighter carries a 77-inch reach advantage over most opponents and generates 4.12 significant strikes per minute, but he was unable to keep the fight standing long enough to put that output to work against the relentless Romero.

Why it matters

• Romero at 49 continues to compete and finish opponents, underlining his remarkable longevity as a combat sports athlete.
• The result further establishes Masvidal's Gamebred promotion as a destination for recognizable MMA veterans in the bare-knuckle format.
• Nicholson's reach advantage of six inches proved irrelevant once Romero secured the takedown, highlighting the stylistic complications the grappling-heavy format creates for striker-first competitors.