Bo Nickal signs with Real American Freestyle in return to wrestling

Tyler Durden 2025.07.02 2 min read

UFC 309: Nickal v Craig — Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Bo Nickal is going to be pulling double duty in the combat sports world.

Promotional officials told MMA Fighting that the UFC middleweight has signed with Real American Freestyle wrestling organization. Nickal plans to compete for Real American Freestyle while also continuing on his mixed martial arts journey.

The wrestling organization is spearheaded by wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, former WCW senior vice president Eric Bischoff, along with longtime wrestling coach Izzy Martinez.

“Bo Nickal is a tremendous athlete and one of the most accomplished wrestlers on the planet,” Hogan said in a release. “Nickal immediately elevates the RAF roster to new heights with his competitiveness and experience. When fans attend an RAF event they know they’re going to see the best of the best on the mat.”

Nickal is one of the most pedigreed wrestlers to make the transition to MMA as three-time NCAA Division I National Champion at Penn State University.

Since making the move from the mat to the cage, Nickal picked up a 31 second knockout in his pro debut before earning a shot on Dana White’s Contender Series. Nickal stopped both of his DWCS opponents in the first round before getting a UFC contract.

From there, the 2019 Dan Hodge Trophy winner picked up victories in his first four octagon outings, but in his most recent fight, Nickal suffered his first loss when was stopped by Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines in May.

Bo Nickal signs with Real American Freestyle in return to wrestling

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