Bo Nickal beat 2008 Olympic freestyle wrestling champion Shirvani Muradov by a score of 11-7 at the RAF Moscow tournament. The victory adds another high-profile grappling win to Nickal's résumé as he continues to build his combat sports profile.
Bo Nickal added another marquee grappling result to his growing résumé on September 5, 2026, defeating 2008 Olympic freestyle wrestling champion Shirvani Muradov by a score of 11-7 at the RAF Moscow tournament.
The win serves as a reminder of the wrestling pedigree Nickal brings into his MMA career. The 30-year-old American trains out of American Top Team Happy Valley and currently holds a 9-1-0 professional record while ranked 13th in the UFC middleweight division. Standing six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach, Nickal has translated his elite amateur wrestling into an effective MMA game, averaging 3.1 takedowns per 15 minutes and 2.5 submission attempts per 15 minutes inside the cage. His striking has been equally sharp, with a 61 percent accuracy rate and 3.35 significant strikes landed per minute.
Muradov is no ordinary opponent on the mat. Claiming Olympic gold in freestyle wrestling back in 2008 means the middleweight contender just outpointed a decorated international champion in a legitimate competitive setting, not a showcase exhibition.
Why it matters
- Nickal's 11-7 victory over an Olympic gold medalist reinforces that his wrestling credentials remain elite, not just relative to MMA competition.
- The win comes as Nickal works to establish himself among the top names in a deep middleweight division, currently sitting just outside the top 10.
- Competing and winning on the wrestling mat between MMA bouts signals a commitment to keeping his grappling sharp at the highest possible level.
- A dominant grappling base combined with above-average striking accuracy makes Nickal a difficult stylistic puzzle for any middleweight opponent.
