Yoel Romero and Alex Nicholson are through the final faceoff before their Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA main event, and Romero looked exactly how he usually does at fight week. Jacked, calm, and uncomfortable to stand across from.
Romero and Nicholson faced off after the official weigh-ins in Miami ahead of their Friday, May 1, 2026 headliner. The fight is scheduled under the Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA banner, with the card streaming free on YouTube through Gamebred’s official channel.
Watch the staredown clips below.
Romero enters with a 16-7 MMA record and one of the strangest athletic résumés in combat sports. He is a former UFC middleweight title challenger, a former Bellator light heavyweight title challenger, and a 2000 Olympic silver medalist in freestyle wrestling for Cuba. He also won a world wrestling championship in 1999 before moving into MMA.
His last MMA fight came in February 2024, when he defeated Thiago Santos by decision at PFL vs. Bellator. Since then, Romero has stayed active outside traditional MMA, including bare-knuckle and dirty boxing appearances. Romero is now 49 years old, but the weigh-in footage did not look like a novelty fight booking.
Nicholson Gets Another Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA Test
Nicholson brings a 20-13 MMA record and a long list of fast finishes. The former UFC and PFL fighter has competed at heavyweight, light heavyweight, and middleweight, with most of his wins coming by knockout.
Nicholson’s Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA run has been rough but active. He knocked out Prince McLean in 19 seconds in his promotional debut, then suffered stoppage losses to Chase Sherman and Frank Tate. His most recent listed MMA bout was a TKO loss to Darion Abbey in March 2025, while his last win came against former UFC fighter Zac Pauga in September 2024.
The co-main event features Luis Palomino returning to MMA against former UFC fighter Darrell Horcher. Palomino is best known for his BKFC run, where he became a two-division champion before moving back into this rule set.
