Former UFC heavyweight contender Alexander Romanov was removed from the cage on a stretcher on Friday following an exceptionally severe groin strike.
This past Friday, the PFL held its 2025 World Championships semifinal bouts in Chicago, featuring middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight divisions. The main event saw Fabian Edwards defeat Joshua Silveira to advance to the middleweight final, moving closer to the $500,000 prize.
On the undercard, Muhammad Ali’s grandson Biaggio Ali Walsh suffered his first professional defeat when he was submitted in the second round.
However, a moment that drew significant attention and discomfort occurred during the heavyweight semifinal between Alexander Romanov and Valentin Moldavsky, leaving fans wincing.
Alexander Romanov Stretchered Out After Brutal Groin Shot
At one point, Romanov was widely regarded as a potential future heavyweight title contender in the UFC after securing five consecutive victories.
The Moldovan fighter then faced tougher competition, suffering back-to-back losses against Marcin Tybura and Alexander Volkov, which significantly impacted his momentum.
Despite bouncing back with a win, he was subsequently defeated by Jailton Almeida. Although he again rebounded with a victory over Rodrigo Nascimento, `King Kong` was unexpectedly released by the promotion and subsequently signed with the PFL.
Romanov was immediately placed in the 2025 World Championship tournament, presenting him with an opportunity to win $500,000. In his PFL debut during the opening round, Romanov earned a first-round submission win over Tim Johnson, advancing him to the semifinals.
He was then matched up against Bellator veteran, Valentin Moldavsky. However, the fight was cut short before it truly began when Romanov was struck with what many are calling one of the most brutal groin shots in MMA history.
The Moldovan remained on the canvas in immense pain, attempting to recover from the foul, but was clearly unable to stand.
Romanov could not even straighten his leg, necessitating a stretcher being brought into the cage to carry him out.
Romanov Advances to the Final
Fortunately for `King Kong`, the fight was scored based on the action up to the first 4:30 of the round, and the Moldovan fighter was awarded the win.
With this victory, he advances to the heavyweight final, where he is set to face Oleg Popov for the $500,000 grand prize.
