Former UFC heavyweight contender Alexander Romanov had to be stretchered out of the cage on Friday after sustaining what has been described as one of the most severe groin strikes ever seen in mixed martial arts.
The incident occurred during the PFL 2025 World Championships semifinals held in Chicago this past Friday. The event featured high-stakes bouts across the middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight divisions, with fighters competing for a chance to reach the finals and win a substantial prize.
While the main event saw Fabian Edwards defeat Joshua Silveira to advance to the middleweight final, and Muhammad Ali’s grandson Biaggio Ali Walsh suffered his first career loss on the undercard, it was the heavyweight semifinal bout between Alexander Romanov and Bellator veteran Valentin Moldavsky that unfortunately garnered significant attention due to a painful and fight-ending incident.
Alexander Romanov Stretchered Out Following Brutal Groin Strike
Romanov, a former UFC heavyweight prospect known as `King Kong`, had a notable run in the promotion where he initially won five consecutive fights, establishing himself as a potential title contender. However, his momentum was halted by subsequent losses before he was surprisingly cut and subsequently signed with the PFL. Joining the PFL 2025 World Championship tournament offered him a new path and a chance at the $500,000 prize. In his PFL debut earlier in the tournament, Romanov secured a first-round submission victory over Tim Johnson to earn his spot in the semifinals.
Facing Valentin Moldavsky in the semifinal, the fight was brought to a sudden halt very early in the first round. Moldavsky delivered an accidental low blow to Romanov, which proved to be devastating.
Romanov immediately fell to the canvas, clearly in immense pain. Despite attempts to recover, it was evident he was in no condition to continue the bout. Medical staff entered the cage to attend to him, and due to the severity of the injury, a stretcher was brought in to carefully carry him out of the arena.
Despite Injury, Romanov Advances to Final
Under specific PFL rules governing fouls that render a fighter unable to continue, particularly early in a fight, the outcome is often determined by the judges` scorecards based on the action that occurred before the foul. Fortunately for Romanov, after 4:30 of the first round, he was ahead on the judges` scorecards and was consequently awarded a technical decision victory.
This outcome, though controversial given the circumstances of the finish, means that Alexander Romanov, despite the horrific injury that required him to be stretchered out, will officially advance to the PFL Heavyweight World Championship final. He is now set to face Oleg Popov for the coveted title and the half-million dollar prize.
