Real American Freestyle (RAF) is bringing wrestling back into the mainstream — and giving professional fighters a place to compete in between bouts.
UFC middleweight and three-time NCAA Division-1 champion, Bo Nickal, will defend his light heavyweight title against BKFC can crusher and UFC veteran, Yoel Romero, as part of the upcoming Real American Freestyle (RAF) 5 wrestling event
on Sat., Jan. 10, 2026 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla., on FOX Nation.Romero won silver at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
That was more than 25 years ago and Romero is now 48 — though you wouldn’t know it based on his stunning victory over Pat Downey at RAF04 earlier this month in Indianapolis. But can he replicate that commanding performance against a 29 year-old Nickal who is competing in his athletic prime?
Former UFC two-division champion, Daniel Cormier, gives Nickal the edge.
“I don’t think that Yoel’s going to beat him because Bo just wrestled and he’s young; but boy, Yoel Romero is going to make it hard for him, especially after what I saw the other day,” Cormier told Josh Thomson on Weighing In. “The thing about Yoel Romero is, I was on the scene when he was. I was wrestling for the United States team when he was wrestling for Cuba. He was always a freak, now he’s like unbelievable. I think Bo will edge him out because I just think that he’s a little younger and at some point that has to matter.”
Don’t rule out a return to the mats for “DC.”
Cormier is just a couple of years younger than Romero at 46 and was part of Team USA at both the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics but failed to medal at either event. “DC” admits he would be interested in joining his fellow UFC veterans under the RAF banner — but only for the right opponent.
“I’d wrestle the right guy,” Cormier said. “I’d wrestle Jon Jones. I’m not wrestling Yoel Romero, bro. I wouldn’t wrestle Yoel. He’s still good, man! He’s like insanely good. I’m not wrestling with him. I’d wrestle like a Jon Jones or somebody.”
Jones, 38, holds 1.5 wins over Cormier from the days of their UFC rivalry.
