Bo Nickal responded to the news of Khamzat Chimaev signing with the RAF wrestling league by proposing himself as an opponent. The post is brief and presents Nickal's challenge to face Chimaev in a wrestling context. No specific details about timing or event are mentioned in the source material. This represents another instance of a UFC fighter showing interest in competing against Chimaev outside of MMA. The post suggests this is not the first time Nickal has pursued a match with Chimaev.
Bo Nickal has thrown his name into the ring as a potential opponent for Khamzat Chimaev following news that the middleweight contender signed with the RAF wrestling league, publicly proposing himself as the man Chimaev should face on the mat.
Nickal, 30, carries a 9-1 professional record and competes out of American Top Team Happy Valley. The southpaw stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and has built a reputation as one of MMA's most dangerous grapplers, averaging 3.1 takedowns and 2.5 submission attempts per 15 minutes while also posting a striking accuracy of 61 percent. His pursuit of a match with Chimaev is not new, with the callout representing a continued effort to secure a contest between the two.
Chimaev, known as "Borz," enters the picture as the number-one ranked middleweight and the tenth-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world. The 32-year-old representing the United Arab Emirates holds a 15-1 record and trains out of Allstars Training Center in Sweden. Standing six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach, he averages an imposing 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 4.04 significant strikes landed per minute, making him one of the most complete fighters in the division.
Why it matters
- Chimaev's move into RAF wrestling opens a rare avenue for MMA fighters to clash with him outside the cage, and Nickal is positioning himself at the front of that line.
- A wrestling match between two fighters of this caliber carries significant divisional intrigue, given both men rank among the sport's elite grapplers by the numbers.
- No timeline or event has been attached to the challenge, leaving the proposal firmly in the callout stage with no confirmed response from Chimaev's camp.
