He won the world bronze in 2019 with a beautiful finish
video
There's a couple of other subs on youtube but filmed in bad angles
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!