Yoel Romero, 49, knocked out Alex Nicholson in Jorge Masvidal's bare-knuckle MMA promotion with a devastating performance. Romero attacked with a double-leg takedown, then landed a brutal strike that broke Nicholson's jaw, forcing him to tap out in submission. The fight ended in just 70 seconds of the first round. Nicholson, 35, holds a record of 22-17 in MMA according to various sources. The finish highlighted Romero's continued power and effectiveness despite his advanced age in combat sports.
Yoel Romero delivered a stunning 70-second knockout at Jorge Masvidal's bare-knuckle MMA promotion, stopping Alex Nicholson with a strike so devastating it broke Nicholson's jaw and forced him to tap out in the first round.
Romero, known as the "Soldier of God," is 49 years old and carries a professional MMA record of 13 wins and 5 losses. The Cuban-born fighter, now representing the United States and training out of American Top Team, has long been regarded as one of combat sports' most physically gifted athletes. Standing six feet tall with a 73-inch reach, the southpaw continues to demonstrate elite finishing ability, and his verified striking accuracy of 49 percent underscores the precision behind his power. He also averages 1.57 takedowns per 15 minutes, a threat he put on display immediately by opening the fight with a double-leg takedown before landing the decisive blow on the ground.
Nicholson, 36, fights out of American Top Team Orlando and holds a 7-4-0 MMA record. The six-foot-four orthodox fighter carries a 77-inch reach advantage over most opponents and lands significant strikes at a rate of 4.12 per minute. Despite those physical attributes, he had no answer for Romero's explosive combination of wrestling and ground-and-pound on the night.
Why it matters
- Romero, at 49, remains a legitimate finishing threat in MMA competition, reinforcing his standing as one of the sport's most durable and dangerous veterans.
- The finish came inside the unique ruleset of bare-knuckle MMA, where Romero's pinpoint striking accuracy of 49 percent proved even more consequential without gloves.
- Nicholson, training at the same affiliated American Top Team gym network as Romero, will now look to rebound from a loss that came almost entirely on the ground rather than in the striking exchanges where he typically thrives.
