51-year-old Anatoli “Tolea” Ciumac (13-13-2) broke a two-fight losing streak and secured a rare Americana submission victory in the main event of RXF NEXT FIGHTER 20—a bareknuckle MMA bout organized under the controversial RXF brand, a promotion increasingly linked to Andrew Tate.
Tolea Ciumac, who hadn’t tasted victory in over three years and had shown signs of wear in recent fights, defied expectations. Against a younger, faster opponent, Ciumac weathered early strikes before dragging the fight to the mat, where his experience took over. The Americana—an old-school shoulder lock often dismissed in modern MMA—was cinched in with precision, forcing the tap in round two and igniting cheers from the Bucharest crowd.
RXF (Real Xtreme Fighting), Romania’s longest-running MMA promotion, has taken a dramatic turn in recent years. Once a local affair started by the Doroftei brothers, it has since become a global spectacle following a reported partnership with Andrew Tate. Tate—currently awaiting trial in Romania on charges of r*pe, human trafficking, and organized crime—has claimed partial ownership of the promotion and has been seen ringside, often using the events as a platform for self-promotion and political commentary.
While Ciumac’s win marks a personal triumph, the context surrounding RXF NEXT FIGHTER 20 is anything but celebratory. The promotion has increasingly been linked with Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, both of whom are currently facing serious criminal charges in Romania and are expected to be extradited to the UK upon the conclusion of domestic trials.
Tate, once a commentator for RXF and now a self-proclaimed co-owner, has boasted about leveraging Romanian casino politics to expand RXF’s reach. “I will open up directly next door to your number one competitor,” Tate once said, describing how he allegedly strong-armed his way into the business. While his claims remain unverified, Romania’s anti-organized crime unit (DIICOT) has acknowledged that Tate and the Doroftei brothers — RXF’s original founders — were indeed in contact during the early expansion of the promotion.
According to DIICOT spokesperson Mihaela Bolla, the Dorofteis had reportedly built an underground network within Romania’s gambling scene before aligning with the Tates. This backdrop has drawn unwanted scrutiny toward RXF, casting a long shadow over the legitimacy of its recent resurgence.
