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Bo Nickal and Yoel Romero face off with 20-year age gap ahead of RAF05 match

Originally posted on HITC | By Donagh Corby | Last updated Jan 10, 2026 11:51 AM ET

Few would have expected Yoel Romero and Bo Nickal to share a wrestling mat again, even after both men transitioned to mixed martial arts.

Romero and Nickal both have strong wrestling backgrounds, but their styles are very different. Romero is an Olympic silver medallist with 15 years of experience in the cage. He’s taken on some of the top names in the sport, like Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya.

Nickal is a three-time NCAA Division I champion from Penn State who made headlines during his time as an amateur wrestler before going pro. He’s still early in his MMA career, trying to climb back up the rankings after suffering his first loss.

Bo Nickal and Yoel Romero’s 19-year age gap on display in first face-off

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Yoel Romero and Bo Nickal finally went face-to-face for the first time ahead of their wrestling match at RAF 05.

The two middleweights met before the event, with a long-range staredown showing off their considerable 19-year age difference. Nickal, standing at 6ft1in, didn’t appear to have much of a height advantage over Romero, who is listed at just under 6ft.

Their initial meeting was postponed due to a leg injury Nickal suffered during preparation. He was expected to headline RAF04 in May but pulled out just days before, with Michael Morales stepping in as his replacement.

Morales ended up losing via decision against Romero. The bout marked one of four consecutive losses for him over a short seven-month span, but he has since rebounded with two straight wins by stoppage.

This time around, Nickal will enter the matchup as a clear favourite according to UFC fans. In his last appearance at UFC 322 back in November, he delivered an impressive knockout win against Cody Brundage at Madison Square Garden. But he has already shifted his focus away from title talk and onto wrestling until further notice.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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