Yoel Romero, at 49 years old, scored a devastating first-round knockout victory over Alex Nicholson in a bare-knuckle MMA promotion owned by Jorge Masvidal. Romero executed a double-leg takedown, took Nicholson down, and then delivered a brutal strike to the jaw that broke it. Nicholson, 35, tapped out in submission after the injury. The entire bout lasted just 70 seconds. This performance demonstrates Romero's continued knockout power despite his advanced age.
Yoel Romero proved his finishing ability is far from finished, stopping Alex Nicholson with a first-round knockout in just 70 seconds at a bare-knuckle MMA event promoted by Jorge Masvidal. Romero broke Nicholson's jaw with a brutal strike on the ground, forcing the tap at the 1:10 mark.
Romero, nicknamed "Soldier of God," is 49 years old and holds a professional record of 13 wins and 5 losses. The southpaw out of American Top Team stands six feet tall with a 73-inch reach and has long been regarded as one of the most physically imposing middleweights in combat sports history. His striking accuracy sits at 49 percent, and he averages 1.57 takedowns per 15 minutes — the takedown that set up this finish was textbook Romero, a double-leg that planted Nicholson on the canvas before the decisive blow landed.
Alex Nicholson, known as "The Spartan," enters the record books on the wrong end of this result. The 36-year-old American, who trains out of American Top Team Orlando, carries a 7-4 record and brings genuine physical tools to the cage — standing six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach. Nicholson lands 4.12 significant strikes per minute and connects at 43 percent accuracy, but the fight never reached a point where his striking output could factor in. He tapped after sustaining the jaw fracture, ending the contest almost before it began.
Why it matters
- Romero, at 49, demonstrated that his one-punch knockout power remains intact in a combat sports setting.
- The result adds a high-profile name to the bare-knuckle MMA promotion backed by former UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal.
- Nicholson's physical size advantage — four inches in height and a four-inch reach edge — counted for nothing once the fight hit the mat.
- The 70-second duration left no statistical footprint but made a loud statement about Romero's continued viability as a finisher.
