Father Time waits for no man, except maybe Yoel Romero.

On Saturday, 48-year-old Romero returned to his roots and wrestled for the first time competitively in nearly two decades when he tech-falled 33-year-old notable Pat Downey at Real American Freestyle 4 at Fishers Event Center near Indianapolis. The final was 12-0.

The win aligned Romero with a rebooking vs. Hodge Trophy winner Bo Nickal at RAF 5. The two competitors were supposed to battle at Saturday's event, but Nickal withdrew and was replaced by Downey.

RAF 5 takes place Jan. 10 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. and also features a match between Colby Covington and Luke Rockhold.

YOEL ROMERO IS NOT REAL! At the age of 48 he makes a return to the mat and TECHS Pat Downey 10-0!

He calls out Bo Nickal next! Can’t wait! pic.twitter.com/Yd5QhrqZYx

— The Barn Session – Wrestling Podcast (@TheBarnSession) December 21, 2025

Romero is most well-known for his UFC career, but was a monster on the mats in the late 90s through the early 2000s. He represented Cuba twice in the Olympics, medaling silver in 2000 and coming fourth in 2004. His trophy cabinet is decorated with gold medals from other world competitions including the World Championships, World Cup, Pan American Games, and Pan American Championships.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Yoel Romero tech falls Pat Downey, gets Bo Nickal rebooking