Alexandr Romanov
Active 2020–present · rated in 2 editions · peak overall 79.0
Scouting report
Alexandr Romanov started freestyle wrestling at seven and represented Moldova at four World Championships and eight European Championships. He won bronze at the 2016 World University Championships at 125 kg. He trains at Rising Tide Academy and holds a jiu-jitsu black belt under Mike Stewart. He won his first five UFC fights, starting with an arm-triangle choke of Roque Martinez in September 2020. His record at the UFC ended at seven wins and three losses.
Peak ratings
By edition
Alexandr Romanov: a Moldovan wrestler whose debut was delayed three times
Romanov's UFC debut was set for April 2020 against Raphael Pessoa, but the event was cancelled during the pandemic. A fight with Marcin Tybura at UFC 251 was removed in July, and a fight with Marcos Rogerio de Lima was scratched on the day of the card in September. He finally debuted on September 12, 2020 and won. He also studied law at Comrat State University and briefly competed in sumo, winning silver at the 2016 OPEN European Cup.
Romanov, attribute by attribute
Boxing. 78. Jared Vanderaa was stopped with punches in round two at UFC Fight Night in October 2021.
Kickboxing. 66, far below his other scores. Alexander Volkov stopped him with punches in round one at UFC Fight Night 221 in March 2023. His coach on the striking side is Chelsea Edward, a Muay Thai coach.
Wrestling. 90. Juan Espino took a technical split decision in April 2021 after an accidental knee to the groin ended the fight in round three. Chase Sherman was finished with a keylock in round one in April 2022.
BJJ. 80. De Lima tapped to a forearm choke in round one in November 2020, which earned Romanov a Performance of the Night bonus. Jailton Almeida submitted him with a rear-naked choke in round one at UFC 302 in June 2024.
Strength. 92, higher than any other score he has. Four of his first five UFC fights ended before the final bell.
Durability. 82. Almeida's choke was his first submission loss.
Cardio. 76. He beat Blagoy Ivanov on a unanimous decision in July 2023 and Rodrigo Nascimento on a unanimous decision in November 2024.
Fight IQ. 78. Tybura beat him by majority decision at UFC 278 in August 2022. Seventeen of 18 media scorers had it as a draw.
Wrestling and strength make him hard to move
Strength at 92 and wrestling at 90 are the two numbers to draft him for. His first five UFC wins came by arm-triangle, forearm choke, technical decision, TKO and keylock. Only one of them went the distance. The forearm choke of de Lima in round one earned a Performance of the Night bonus.
Kickboxing at 66 is the exposed side
Volkov stopped him in round one in March 2023. The UFC did not renew his contract in November 2024. He then fought for the PFL, reached the 2025 heavyweight final and lost a split decision to Oleg Popov in August 2025. A build with a strong stand-up slot covers that hole.
Keep exploring
Closest heavyweight profiles to Alexandr Romanov, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Antonio Silvabest strength 90 · weakest kickboxing 72
- Brock Lesnarbest strength 98 · weakest kickboxing 66
- Shane Carwinbest strength 96 · weakest kickboxing 65
- Ben Rothwellbest strength 89 · weakest kickboxing 76
- Heavyweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Alexandr Romanov's strongest attribute, Strength.
Draft Alexandr Romanov into your build
Alexandr Romanov enters the pool on any spin landing on heavyweight between 2023 and present. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Alexandr Romanov is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Alexandr Romanov's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.