Bo’s back.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight super prospect Bo Nickal is returning to the wrestling mats — and he has a very real test waiting for him.
Real American Freestyle (RAF) announced today that Nickal will face 2026 NCAA champion Max McEnelly in a Light Heavyweight match at RAF 12 on Sat., Aug. 22, 2026, inside Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
The promotion announced the match today.
Nickal is fresh off a first-round knockout win over Kyle Daukaus at UFC Freedom 250 earlier this month (watch highlights), and he is already getting right back to competition.
The three-time NCAA Division I national champion has not wrestled for RAF since the promotion’s inaugural event in 2025, when he defeated Jacob Cardenas. Nickal was scheduled to return against Yoel Romero in late 2025, but he was forced to withdraw. The match was rebooked for January 2026, but Romero missed weight, and Nickal ultimately refused to wrestle him.
McEnelly, meanwhile, will be making his highly anticipated RAF debut.
The University of Minnesota standout captured the 2026 NCAA individual national championship at 184 pounds with a 4-3 win over top-seeded Rocco Welsh. Before winning his first national title as a redshirt sophomore, McEnelly earned 2025 Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors and placed third at the NCAA tournament. He was also a four-time Minnesota high school state champion at Waconia High School and won gold at the U20 World Championships.
Wrestling legend Jordan Burroughs is also expected to compete at RAF 12, though he does not have an opponent just yet. In addition, Tyron Woodley vs. Joaquin Buckley is also slated for the card.
Before RAF 12 goes down, RAF still has two events on deck: RAF Georgia on July 11 and RAF 11 on July 18 in Milwaukee, Wis.
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