JERSEY CITY, NJ – In the heavyweight division, there is a 60-pound range for fighters to locate their ideal load within.
While many heavyweights typically stay in the same range of a few pounds, Alexander Romanov fluctuated a lot during his tenure in the UFC. Sometimes weighing less than 240 pounds, but often tipping the scales around the 265-pound heavyweight limit, Romanov’s weight attracted attention for its unpredictable nature.
For Romanov (17-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC), though, he’s not as concerned about his weight as some outside observers. Although he did not reveal his exact expected weight for Friday before Saturday UFC 302Romanov faces a lighter opponent, Jailton Almeida.
“I’m not focused on his weight,” Romanov told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight press conference on Wednesday. “I’m just focused on myself. I’m a heavy guy by nature. I don’t need to do anything to gain weight. This camp was perfect. I have a guy who has a really good diet. I have a very good team of professionals around me. This Saturday will be very interesting.”
Almeida (20-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) is a heavy opponent, but Romanov is a heavy guy. Romanov is confident that his preparation was correct and that his skill set should provide problems for Almeida.
“Here in the UFC we have a lot of good fighters, a lot of good grapplers,” said Romanov. “Everyone is different. You can knock someone down 100 times in the first round. But after that, you don’t have enough strength to keep him in the clinch. It’s all about professionalism, just unity [sic] and keep your tank and… (be) very smart at distance.”
For more information on the card, visit the MMA Junkie events hub to UFC 302.
