Alexander Romanov vs Juan Espino - Hype thread

Only thing Romanov technically and clearly has on Espino is his age. Nothing else literally. Espino is better striker. Espino is better grappler. Espino has better sub game. Espino has better cardio. Espino fights out of better camp. Espino has better training partners.

I do think Romanov is probably a better pure wrestler, but I think Espino's grappling is more MMA oriented. Romanov keeps getting to knees, whereas Espino isn't as wrestling oriented, but more MMA grappling oriented.
 
I am still on Romanov bandwaggon and he can win, but this is a fucking tough fight where it could go either way. If you think this is an easy fight for Romanov, then you haven't watched Espino fight.
 
And if anyone's running over someone, it'd be Espino by a quick sub, not the other way around. Romanov does NOT have a good TDD it appears to me. No one really goes for Tds against Romanov, but from what I've seen in grappling/wrestling matches, his TDD isn't really there. If Espino can get to his legs, I think he can finish. I'm not sure how good Espino's TDD is but I'm not sure if Romanov would want to take it to the ground, not sure.
 
JustOnce said:
Not really. He's a savage against guys who has no clue about grappling. Espino is a better grappler, has a reach on him, more seasoned striker, and much much better BJJ. How do you know who's more athletic? And this isn't athletics, this is fighting. Romanov is more explosive, that's what it is.

If there's anything about older heavyweights who are grapplers, they age very very well and Espino literally took no damager outside his ko loss TEN years ago.

I'm on Romanov hype train. I love the guy, but you are delusional if you think this is an easy fight. It's not. It's very tough fight, where I'd lean slightly towards Espino.

Romanov will not finish Espino on the ground. Espino can finish Romanov.
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I'll mark this and get back to you. Get ready to eat a big plate of crow.
 
JustOnce said:
Romanov will not finish Espino on the ground. Espino can finish Romanov.
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I agree with your whole post, i don't see Romanov submitting Espino, but he can just stay on top of him for the whole fight easily, throw hundreds of sloppy punch forcing the ref to stop
 
jk7707 said:
I'll mark this and get back to you. Get ready to eat a big plate of crow.
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That's not how it works dummy. Like I said, I am backing Romanov. Can you not read?

Big difference between facing a tough opponent, and picking a fight to lose. For fuck's sake man
 
Dog Gynecologist said:
I agree with your whole post, i don't see Romanov submitting Espino, but he can just stay on top of him for the whole fight easily, throw hundreds of sloppy punch forcing the ref to stop
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I don't know if Romanov would want to take the fight down. I think leg lock might be there for Espino. I don't know if Romanov would wanna roll with that, but Romanov for his entire career did one thing. Literally put the head down and clinch or get to the legs.
This is a pretty tough fight when you break it down. At first sight, I thought the same. Romanov would run this older guy over.
 
Its a sick, sick HW fight. I see Espino winning round 1 with his grappling before gassing personally, Romanov is an excellent grappler and probably won't get submitted but he's a big ol' boy to be controlling on the mat for 5mins and Espino is used to getting guys out there quickly - this won't be happening with Romanov.

Romanov, TKO (ground and pound), late in the 2nd round.
 
The_Renaissance said:
Its a sick, sick HW fight. I see Espino winning round 1 with his grappling before gassing personally, Romanov is an excellent grappler and probably won't get submitted but he's a big ol' boy to be controlling on the mat for 5mins and Espino is used to getting guys out there quickly - this won't be happening with Romanov.

Romanov, TKO (ground and pound), late in the 2nd round.
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Romanov is even more used to getting guys out there quickly though. I think Espino can sub Romanov if he takes him down. He doesn't have BJJ background. He's probably really good from the top but I don't know how good he is off his back. From what I've seen, his TDD and top control doesn't seem the best . I think Espino has a better gas tank as well.
 
Romanov has some medals in No Gi grappling at the same federation Espino used to competed(FILA/UWW), 1 bronze at the worlds and 2 bronzes at the europeans.
He may be a BJJ white belt, but he knows how to grapple.

He almost killed Marcos Pezão, who is a black belt

 
Iron Skin said:
Romanov has some medals in No Gi grappling at the same federation Espino used to competed(FILA/UWW), 1 bronze at the worlds and 2 bronzes at the europeans.
He may be a BJJ white belt, but he knows how to grapple.

He almost killed Marcos Pezão, who is a black belt

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None of the guys Romanov competed against had BJJ background. In semi final, against the guy who lost by the score of 17-0 in the final, he got subbed in like 30 seconds. In other matches, he got swept from mount to guard incredibly easily. Im sure he knows how to grapple, hes a wrestler with submission grappling experience. But Espino is the guy with better BJJ and better cardio better striking better camp and just as good a mma takedown game. Im not sure if Espino competed in exact same finals but he did go toe to toe with Monson in the final who is a great grappler with BJJ black belt.

Yes De la lima is a black belt. So is Kevin Holland.

With that said just so no misunderstanding I like Romanov and Im on his bandwaggon.

At first I thought he was going to run over the other guy but Im not sure. I think its a very tough fight Id lean slightly towards Espino on paper but this is fighting this aint math.
 
Not to mention Romanov lost to guys who he seemed to outweigh by like 50 pounds by purely getting outwrestled.
 
Biggest problem for me is that I dont think Romanov can sub Espino but Espino can sub Romanov. And Romanov won all of his fights by finishing guys on the ground. Whereas Espino went the distance twice and won them both.
 
Iron Skin said:
Romanov has some medals in No Gi grappling at the same federation Espino used to competed(FILA/UWW), 1 bronze at the worlds and 2 bronzes at the europeans.
He may be a BJJ white belt, but he knows how to grapple.

He almost killed Marcos Pezão, who is a black belt

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Also, Romanov hasn't subbed a single human being in that competition. And he lost three times in those competition, and maybe won four or five? Not a single submission to my knowledge. Lost in 30 seconds via sub against a guy who lost 17-0 in the finals. And none of them he faced have BJJ backgrounds either. The competition you mentioned of, the quality of competition, seems fairly questionable, in my opinion. Looks more like guys who couldn't cut it in wrestling competing in modified rules, if you ask me.

And I think he lost to a blue belt, at best purple belt, but may have been blue belt when they competed, who he looked like outweigh by 50 pounds. Like a year or two ago and how much could he have gotten better during Covid?

And he's going to sub accomplished BJJ black belt grappler Espino? I doubt it. I mean I guess anything's possible in MMA, but I'd be fairly surprised if that happens. I mean Anthony Hernandez did sub Rodolfo. I mean I wouldn't be THAT surprised, but would be surprised if Romanov subbed Espino. I wouldn't be if Espino subbed Romanov on the other hand.
 
Iron Skin said:
Two of the best heavyweight grapplers! They are fighting next weekend on the prelims of UFC Fight Night: Whitaker vs Gastelum

Romanov

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Espino

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I stole some gifs from Kazdibiase
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Espino is a great fighter. It's just too bad he's 40.
 
Just to make it clear, I had Romanov, and I am backing Romanov, and I think Romanov can pull it off. Just in case some hater will bump this and talk shit after.

But on paper, Espino does have better striking, better BJJ, better cardio, better camp, better training partners, and I think he's better at blending his strikes with takedowns. Not only that he got a HUGE reach advantage on Romanov, so you know, it's reasonable to lean towards a guy like that in that case.

On Romanov's side...Romanov is younger.

However, MMA isn't math. It's trial by fire. Sometimes you run across a guy who's better than you on paper, but you come out victorious anyways.

I think Romanov can do that.
 
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