Alexander Romanov vs Juan Espino - Hype thread

Espino is a great fighter. It's just too bad he's 40.
His choice. Juan is one of most frustrating guys to be a fan of. Don't get me started...
 
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The more I think about this fight the more I like Espino.

Romanov has been getting by steamrolling guys he is outmatching. Espino is fighting a lot more technically, and Romanov won't be able to steamroll him.

I can definitely see a very fast paced first round, and Espino taking over rounds 2 and 3.
 
Espino is awesome, I agree it's a shame he didn't get an earlier start, he's legit.

Unless age catches up with him, he should win.
 
I just realized this fight is happening this weekend and isn’t even on the main card. Romanov is a beast and as long as he sharpens up his striking a bit I think he it easily a top 5 HW in the not-too-distant future.
 
These just seems like the kind of fight that gets cancelled cause of covid.
 
Espino only needs to get top position once and as long as there 60 seconds left in the round then he owns Romanov.
Different class.
 
Espino only needs to get top position once and as long as there 60 seconds left in the round then he owns Romanov.
Different class.

Thats what I think too unfortunately. I dont think Romanov can sub Espino. I think people are thinking 13 opponents that Romanov rolled over are half as good a grappler as Espino is. They arent. Romanov is pretty sloppy.

Still hoping that Romanov finds a way! LFG King Kong!
 
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.

He won the world bronze in 2019 with a beautiful finish

Gc0cHoP.gif


video


There's a couple of other subs on youtube but filmed in bad angles

KoTaET1.gif
 
Looking at the matchups on the card, I thought this would be the co-main. For sure on the main card...nope! It's not even the prelim headliner. WTF?

Whomever sets the bout order fucked up
 
He won the world bronze in 2019 with a beautiful finish

Gc0cHoP.gif


video


There's a couple of other subs on youtube but filmed in bad angles

KoTaET1.gif


It's kind hard to find the full results for those UWW. I digged and I missed those matches.

But I still stay behind what I said. He did lose to a guy with at best BJJ purple or blue belt who looked like he had 50 pounds on him and got outwrestled completely. He got tapped out by a guy in less than 30 seconds who would go on to lose in the final by the score of 17-0. And he got swept from the mount super easily by another guy too. And those were like two years ago. And oh yeah, he also got outwrestled by another guy who looked like he had 50 pounds on him as well.

I'm not denying he's a good wrestler, but he's not necessarily better wrestler than an average usa american ncaa wrestler. And he IS competing against guys without BJJ background, so of course he would look good if he can get on top, but those are the highlights, he doesn't look all that great in most of his grappling matches. He's sloppy. He looks great in MMA against guys who aren't really grapplers either.

I'm not sure of the competition level at those 'worlds'. It feels like it's more like a competition of people who couldn't cut it in freestyle if you ask me.

At the end of the day, Espino is a better striker. Espino has a better sub game. Espino has better BJJ. Espino has better cardio, Espino has better training partners, better camp. Not to mention he has a HUGE reach advantage too and he's taller.

On Romanov's side, all he really on paper has is literally being younger. He competed at higher level in wrestling obviously, but I do think Espino has more MMA adapted takedown game. And I don't see Romanov subbing Espino but the other way around.

But predictions are often wrong, and what's on paper doesn't always mean much when it comes to fighting. I'm backing Romanov, and pulling for him.

But this is really tough fight. Romanov would have to be on his A game to win this. Romanov for his entire career just ran over people. If he does that, I think he's going to get dumped on his head and get subbed.

I think Espino will be significantly better on top of Romanov than the other way around. And biggest thing is, no one tried to grapple Romanov, but I'm fairly sure what Espino's game plan is going to be. I'm not sure what Romanov will try to do. But I think if Espino can get to his front leg, I think Espino prob can finish that single.

If you watch Romanov's grappling/wrestling matches, he looks god awful when someone can get to his leg. But this is MMA, not wrestling or grappling.

Espino hasn't lost in 10 years. Both of them fought thirteen times, if you count Espino's TUF fights. Espino only lost to prime Minakov. I think Minakov runs through Romanov too. And that was 10 years ago. Espino is fair bit older, but heavyweights do tend do fair better when they are older, especially grapplers which Espino is, and he has less milege then Romanov probably.

But hey, LFG Romanov!
 
Looking at the matchups on the card, I thought this would be the co-main. For sure on the main card...nope! It's not even the prelim headliner. WTF?

Whomever sets the bout order fucked up

Well better have that WMMA prelim-main between Justin Kish and Cortez.
 
It's kind hard to find the full results for those UWW. I digged and I missed those matches.

But I still stay behind what I said. He did lose to a guy with at best BJJ purple or blue belt who looked like he had 50 pounds on him and got outwrestled completely. He got tapped out by a guy in less than 30 seconds who would go on to lose in the final by the score of 17-0. And he got swept from the mount super easily by another guy too. And those were like two years ago. And oh yeah, he also got outwrestled by another guy who looked like he had 50 pounds on him as well.

I'm not denying he's a good wrestler, but he's not necessarily better wrestler than an average usa american ncaa wrestler. And he IS competing against guys without BJJ background, so of course he would look good if he can get on top, but those are the highlights, he doesn't look all that great in most of his grappling matches. He's sloppy. He looks great in MMA against guys who aren't really grapplers either.

I'm not sure of the competition level at those 'worlds'. It feels like it's more like a competition of people who couldn't cut it in freestyle if you ask me.

At the end of the day, Espino is a better striker. Espino has a better sub game. Espino has better BJJ. Espino has better cardio, Espino has better training partners, better camp. Not to mention he has a HUGE reach advantage too and he's taller.

On Romanov's side, all he really on paper has is literally being younger. He competed at higher level in wrestling obviously, but I do think Espino has more MMA adapted takedown game. And I don't see Romanov subbing Espino but the other way around.

But predictions are often wrong, and what's on paper doesn't always mean much when it comes to fighting. I'm backing Romanov, and pulling for him.

But this is really tough fight. Romanov would have to be on his A game to win this. Romanov for his entire career just ran over people. If he does that, I think he's going to get dumped on his head and get subbed.

I think Espino will be significantly better on top of Romanov than the other way around. And biggest thing is, no one tried to grapple Romanov, but I'm fairly sure what Espino's game plan is going to be. I'm not sure what Romanov will try to do. But I think if Espino can get to his front leg, I think Espino prob can finish that single.

If you watch Romanov's grappling/wrestling matches, he looks god awful when someone can get to his leg. But this is MMA, not wrestling or grappling.

Espino hasn't lost in 10 years. Both of them fought thirteen times, if you count Espino's TUF fights. Espino only lost to prime Minakov. I think Minakov runs through Romanov too. And that was 10 years ago. Espino is fair bit older, but heavyweights do tend do fair better when they are older, especially grapplers which Espino is, and he has less milege then Romanov probably.

But hey, LFG Romanov!

Juan Espino's grappling credentials are these same tournamentes. He won multiple gold medals at FILA/UWW grappling Gi and No Gi.
Not ADCC or IBJJF.
 
Juan Espino's grappling credentials are these same tournamentes. He won multiple gold medals at FILA/UWW grappling Gi and No Gi.
Not ADCC or IBJJF.

Espino still has 11 golds 2 silver and 2 bronze
Romanov has 3 bronzes.

Not even remotely close.
 
Romanov looks like he has NO IDEA what he's doing in some positions. On the other hand, Espino pulled guard and swept to victory in a gi final. Not to mention Romanov got tapped out in THIRTY seconds, less than thirty seconds, by a guy who got 17-0ed in the final.

It's hard to find the footage on Espino, but when he won the no gi gold in 2014 or 2016, the guy who came in second place looks like a better wrestler than Romanov for what it's worth. And he won. In Russia. against Russian.
 
Espino still has 11 golds 2 silver and 2 bronze
Romanov has 3 bronzes.

Not even remotely close.
Sure, but he won those medals in the same tournament, with your own words, 'against guys without BJJ background, that couldn't cut in free style wrestling'.
 
Sure, but he won those medals in the same tournament, with your own words, 'against guys without BJJ background, that couldn't cut in free style wrestling'.

Well Romanov looked like he lost to a guy with blue belt BJJ and those guys you showed in gifs, probably are. Or who couldn't cut it in Judo. Espino is a legit black belt BJJ.

I mean, don't forget, YOU were the one trumpetting his accomplishments in those competitions that you are trying to shit on at the moment by quoting what I said.

If it was such an impressive accomplishment, like you were suggesting like 2 posts ago, it feels like one guy probably is better than the other guy, don't you think?

11 GOLD 2 SILVER 2 Bronze seems better than 3 Bronze.
 
Well Romanov looked like he lost to a guy with blue belt BJJ and those guys you showed in gifs, probably are. Or who couldn't cut it in Judo. Espino is a legit black belt BJJ.

I mean, don't forget, YOU were the one trumpetting his accomplishments in those competitions that you are trying to shit on at the moment by quoting what I said.

If it was such an impressive accomplishment, like you were suggesting like 2 posts ago, it feels like one guy probably is better than the other guy, don't you think?

11 GOLD 2 SILVER 2 Bronze seems better than 3 Bronze.

I'm not trying to shit on anything lol It's you that are, those were your words

Romanov is a freestyle wrestler, he only competed in no gi grappling in the last 2 years and won 3 bronze medals. Sure Espino is more accomplished in grappling, but if Romanov's bronze medals means shit, then Espino's gold medals in the same tournament also means shit.

In freestyle Romanov competed at the highest level, 4 times at the World Wrestling Championship, and 8 times at the European Wrestling Championship.
 
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