49-year-old Yoel Romero knocks out Alex Nicholson in 70 seconds at bare-knuckle event

Yoel Romero delivered a stunning first-round knockout of Alex Nicholson at Jorge Masvidal's bare-knuckle MMA promotion on May 2, finishing the fight in just 70 seconds with a punch that reportedly broke Nicholson's jaw.

Romero, known as the "Soldier of God," is 49 years old and carries a professional MMA record of 13-5. The Cuban-born fighter, who now competes out of American Top Team, is a southpaw standing six feet tall with a 73-inch reach. Throughout his career he has consistently mixed elite wrestling with sharp striking, averaging 1.57 takedowns per 15 minutes and connecting on 49 percent of his significant strikes. Both traits were on full display against Nicholson: Romero shot for a double-leg, brought his opponent to the canvas, and then unloaded a devastating punch to the jaw that ended the contest.

Nicholson, nicknamed "The Spartan," is 36 years old and represents American Top Team Orlando. Standing six-foot-four at 193 cm with a 77-inch reach, he is a physically imposing orthodox fighter who averages 4.12 significant strikes landed per minute. His AgentMMA record is listed at 7-4. Nicholson tapped in response to the finishing blow, prompting the stoppage.

Why it matters

• Romero, at 49, demonstrated he remains a dangerous finisher even outside the traditional MMA circuit.
• The bout highlights the growing profile of bare-knuckle MMA as a destination for established fighters.
• A size advantage of four inches in height and four inches in reach was not enough to protect Nicholson from Romero's wrestling-into-ground-punch combination.
• The 70-second finish underscores how quickly bare-knuckle bouts can end when a fighter of Romero's pedigree lands clean.