After a four and a half-year stint in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship and two appearances in the
Professional Fighters League, Rodrigo
Nascimento wants to hit the reset button against a familiar
face in the PFL.
The 6-foot-4, 265-pound Brazilian will rematch Alexander
Romanov when their heavyweight prelim buoys the
PFL Chicago undercard this Saturday at Wintrust Arena.
Nascimento was cut by the UFC after he lost a unanimous decision to
the hulking Moldovan in 2024.
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“We learned a lot from that,” he told Sherdog.com. “We’re always
learning and innovating. After I left the UFC, I came to understand
that being an athlete wasn’t only about fighting in the UFC’s
Octagon. Being an athlete requires interactions with the public and
finding other means to stay in touch with the fans. Now, I’m always
posting videos and having live sessions. I’m learning to sell
myself better and to have more fan connections. Of course, I gained
much experience in the UFC. There’s nothing like it. I doubt a
better promotion will ever exist. The main thing I gained from them
was experience.”
Nascimento owns a 1-1 record in the PFL, with a win over Abraham
Bably and a loss to Oleg Popov.
He was originally scheduled to face Slim
Trabelsi before the Tunisian’s withdrawal cleared the way for a
second encounter with Romanov. Nascimento finds motivation in the
unexpected chance to even the score with the 2025 PFL heavyweight
tournament finalist.
‘I have all the weapons’
“This will be a rematch for us,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll be able to
show a different Rodrigo Nascimento. I’ll show that I’m now
stronger and more dedicated. Romanov is tough, but I have all the
weapons necessary to beat him.”
Nascimento did not hold back when asked how he felt about
Trabelsi.
“As far as Slim [goes], I did train with him a few times here at
American Top Team,” he said, “but to tell the truth, I don’t
really like him. No one likes him. He’s weird. I’m not sure how
else to say it. We wrestled together. He’s a good wrestler, but
it’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”
By the time Nascimento climbs into the cage to meet Romanov, he
will have been away from action for 288 days. That time was not
wasted. Nascimento understands the challenge in front of him and
remains confident in his preparation at ATT.
“Everyone was a big help,” he said. “Our plan is to get ready to
wrestle. I’ll defend takedowns and go for my own takedowns whenever
possible. Guys who are mainly wrestlers don’t have jiu-jitsu
skills. I even submitted Slim a few times. I’m confident that if we
end up fighting, I will submit him. I feel that fighting Romanov is
the same thing. I can knock him out, or I can submit him. He’s a
good wrestler, but my jiu-jitsu and striking are much better.”
With the opportunity to reverse his fortunes nearly at hand,
Nascimento embraces the idea of wowing the promotion and the fans
at Romanov’s expense.
“I’m feeling well, happy and strong,” he said. “This will be yet
another win for us.”