Juan Espino vs. Alexandr Romanov added to UFC Vegas 24 fight card

An intriguing heavyweight matchup has been added to the UFC’s April slate.

According to the promotion’s television listings, a bout between Juan Espino and Alexandr Romanov is booked for UFC Vegas 24. The event takes place April 17 at UFC APEX and streams on ESPN+.

MMA Fighting confirmed the booking with sources close to the situation, while both competitors subsequently announced the bout on social media.

Espino returned to the octagon after a nearly two-year layoff at UFC 253 in September where he picked up a first-round scarf hold submission win over Jeff Hughes. “El Guapo” is unbeaten since 2017, which includes winning season 28 of The Ultimate Fighter.

Romanov has opened a lot of eyes since making his promotional debut in 2020. “King Kong” went 2-0 in his UFC rookie season with consecutive first-round submission wins over Roque Martinez and Marcos Rogerio de Lima.

UFC Vegas 24 will be headlined by a middleweight matchup between Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum.