Bo Nickal has reacted to Khamzat Chimaev signing with the RAF wrestling league by proposing himself as a candidate to face Chimaev in a wrestling match. The post includes a poll asking fans if it would be interesting or if Nickal is making a mistake by challenging Chimaev again. Details of any official matchup or response from Chimaev are not provided in the brief announcement.
Bo Nickal has publicly called out Khamzat Chimaev for a wrestling match following Chimaev's signing with the RAF wrestling league, putting himself forward as a natural opponent for the bout.
Nickal, 30, carries a 9-1 MMA record and trains out of American Top Team Happy Valley. The six-foot-one southpaw from the United States has built his early professional career around relentless grappling pressure, averaging 3.1 takedowns and 2.5 submission attempts per 15 minutes. His striking has also been a quiet weapon, landing at a 61 percent accuracy rate — one of the sharper marks in the sport.
Chimaev, nicknamed "Borz," enters the conversation as one of the most formidable grapplers in MMA. The 32-year-old holds a 15-1 record and sits ranked first in the middleweight division, as well as tenth in the pound-for-pound rankings. Fighting out of Allstars Training Center for the United Arab Emirates, the six-foot-two orthodox fighter averages a remarkable 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands significant strikes at a 60 percent clip — figures that reflect his suffocating all-around game.
Nickal accompanied his callout with a fan poll asking whether the proposed wrestling match would be compelling viewing or whether he is making a mistake by challenging Chimaev in this format. No response from Chimaev has been reported, and no official matchup has been announced.
Why it matters
- Chimaev is the top-ranked middleweight, making any crossover with Nickal carry divisional weight beyond the wrestling context
- Both men are elite grapplers by MMA standards, with Chimaev's 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes dwarfing most peers
- A wrestling match, if formalized, would offer a rare head-to-head comparison of two fighters frequently discussed as future title contenders
- Nickal's willingness to call out the division's top name signals his ambition regardless of the platform
