Preview: UFC on ESPN 22 Prelims

Heavyweights

NR | Alexander Romanov (13-0, 2-0 UFC) vs. NR | Juan Espino (10-1, 2-0 UFC)

ODDS: Romanov (-140), Espino (+120)

Espino is the most recent winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” for at least a few more months, which means the 40-year-old Spaniard is still part of an amusing factoid: The last “Ultimate Fighter” winner is somehow older than inaugural “Ultimate Fighter” winner Diego Sanchez. Espino struggled with injuries after winning his season of the reality series at the tail end of 2018, so his first post-“Ultimate Fighter” fight did not come until September. It saw him pick up where he left off against Jeff Hughes. Espino has a fairly simple approach built upon getting his opponents to the mat and tapping them out, but that focus—along with the fact that Espino is good at what he does—means he can cause problems for a majority of his heavyweight peers. It will be fascinating to see what he can do against Moldova’s Romanov, who is quickly making a name for himself as a prospect to watch. Romanov is an absolutely massive man who is fighting his way into shape, but that only makes his natural athleticism all the more impressive. “King Kong” can move, and while his striking is fairly wild, he also tends to focus on locking up with his opponents before taking them to the mat; and in Romanov’s case, he often uses a high-amplitude slam to get there. Add in that Romanov seems to have a shockingly deep gas tank for someone so large, and there are some impressive tools here that only figure to develop more as he gets better experience. The dynamic is interesting, given that both men are used to bulling around their opponents without much resistance. It may just be a matter of who decides to go for a takedown and grab the initiative first. While Espino might be more capable of ending the fight with one dynamic technique, Romanov’s size and power should eventually wear down the Spaniard, so long as he does not get himself tapped out. The pick is Romanov via second-round stoppage.

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