Real American Freestyle (RAF) first tried (and failed) to book a wrestling match between three-time NCAA Division I National Champion Bo Nickal and 2000 Olympic silver medalist Yoel Romero back in late 2025. “Soldier of God” missed weight and Nickal dipped, forcing the promotion to pivot at the last minute.
If at first you don’t succeed…
Nickal and Romero will try again — at catchweight — as part of the upcoming RAF 16 event on Sat., Dec. 19, 2026 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale,
New York. No other bouts have been announced at the time of this writing but expect them to start trickling in over the next few days.
RAF 16 will stream exclusively on FOX Nation.
It’s a bit of a risky booking when you consider that Nickal is fighting knockout artist Joe Pyfer in February. An injury at RAF 16 would likely torpedo that bout, which has already been rescheduled once before.
Assuming the match even takes place with Romero’s poor history of weight management.
