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Bo Nickal on Return to Wrestling: 'Let's See if I Still Got it'
Bo Nickal (red gloves) fights Paul Craig in the middleweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Bo Nickal is returning to his roots in wrestling. The UFC middleweight and former Penn State wrestling star has signed with Real American Freestyle, a new organization that seeks to professionalize freestyle wrestling. Nickal will compete in both MMA and freestyle, making his RAF debut Aug. 30 in Cleveland on the series' first card.

Hulk Hogan, one of the creators of Real American Freestyle, said in a release that Nickal "immediately elevates" the organization's roster of athletes.

“Bo Nickal is a tremendous athlete and one of the most accomplished wrestlers on the planet,” Hogan said in a statement. “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 was a three-time NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner at Penn State, where he put together one of the program's great careers. He went 120-3 with 59 falls and compiled a 19-1 record at the NCAA Tournament. Nickal wrestled freestyle after college, winning the U23 world title in 2019. Two years later, David Taylor swept Nickal at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials to earn the 86 kg men's freestyle spot at the Tokyo Olympics.

Nickal then turned his attention to MMA, making his professional debut with a 33-second knockout in June 2022. Nickal since has competed in Dana White's Contender Series and in UFC, where he has compiled a 4-1 record. In May, Nickal lost his first UFC match by TKO to Reinier de Ridder.

Nickal, 29, discussed his decision to add freestyle wrestling to his UFC schedule during an appearance on the Ariel Helwani Show.

"There’s room for me to compete in wrestling,” Nickal said on the show. “... I just have the fire in me to
compete as much as I can. Realistically with fighting, I've been getting two fights year, and that's going to be continuing, that's going to be the trend, which is fine with me. But I'm 29 years old, in my prime and I'm just fired up to compete."

Real American Freesytle bills itself as the "first unscripted pro wrestling league for the best athletes in the world." Hogan, Eric Bischoff and Iggy Martinez founded the series as a professional venue for freestyle wrestlers.

"Wrestling has always been about grit, sacrifice and raw determination," the RAF says on its website. "But for too long, athletes who give everything to the sport have not had an opportunity to pursue professional careers. Real American Freestyle was built to change that — to provide a platform for the best wrestlers in the world."

Nickal is scheduled to join former Penn State wrestlers Aaron Brooks and Beau Bartlett in Real American Freestyle. Brooks also is on the inaugural Aug. 30 card in Cleveland, where he's scheduled to face former North Dakota State All-American Hayden Zillmer.

This article first appeared on Penn State Nittany Lions on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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