Former UFC heavyweight contender Alexander Romanov was removed from the cage on a stretcher this past Friday after enduring what many are calling one of the most severe groin strikes ever seen in the sport. The unfortunate incident occurred during his semifinal bout at the PFL event in Chicago.
The Professional Fighters League held its 2025 World Championships semifinals in Chicago, featuring pivotal matchups across the middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight divisions. While the main card saw Fabian Edwards secure his place in the middleweight final, attention also turned to the heavyweight division where Romanov faced Valentin Moldavsky.
Brutal Foul Forces Romanov Out on Stretcher
Romanov, once a promising prospect in the UFC, had a mixed record in his later fights with the promotion before making the move to PFL to compete for the lucrative $500,000 tournament grand prize. He had successfully navigated his PFL debut, winning his opening-round fight by first-round submission to reach the semifinals.
His semifinal clash against veteran Moldavsky, however, came to a shocking and painful halt almost immediately. Just moments into the fight, Romanov was struck with a devastating low blow from Moldavsky.
The Moldovan fighter collapsed to the canvas in immense pain, unable to recover. It was clear he could not continue, and medical personnel were required. Romanov was unable to stand and ultimately had to be stretchered out of the cage.
Despite Injury, Romanov Advances to Final
Remarkably, despite being unable to leave the cage under his own power, Alexander Romanov was declared the winner of the fight. The bout was stopped due to an accidental foul, and under PFL rules, if enough time has passed in the round (often based on a certain threshold like 50% or more), the fight can go to the judges` scorecards for a technical decision.
In this case, the fight was scored based on the brief period of action before the foul, and Romanov was awarded the victory via technical decision.
This fortunate outcome means `King Kong` Romanov now advances to the PFL heavyweight tournament final. He is set to face Oleg Popov with the $500,000 championship prize on the line, a path earned through a victory marked by unexpected and severe injury.
