Hodge Trophy Winner and UFC Star Nickal Signs with RAF

Real American Freestyle (RAF) announced a huge signing today as they made an announcement on social media that UFC star Bo Nickal had signed with the organization. Earlier today, Nickal was on Ariel Helwani’s show and stated that he would be fighting on RAF’s inaugural card on August 30th. As of now, an opponent has not been named. In the interview, he did mention potential matches with 2025 World Team representative Trent Hidlay or 2024 national champion Parker Keckeisen. 

Nickal has a professional MMA record of 7-1 and is 4-1 in UFC events not including two wins on Dana White’s Contender Series. In his most recent outing, Nickal suffered a loss via TKO to Dutch fighter Reinier de Ridder. 

Before getting into the cage, Nickal put together a remarkable career at Penn State. He was a four-time national finalist and three-time NCAA champion. Nickal also captured three Big Ten titles.

As a senior, Nickal was named the Hodge Trophy recipient after going 30-0 with 18 falls. Nickal finished his collegiate career on a 68-match winning streak. 

Penn State won national titles in each of Nickal’s four years as a starter. In 2018, he clinched the team title with his fall over Ohio State’s national champion Myles Martin. 

On the freestyle scene, Nickal captured a U23 world championship in 2019. Nickal also made the finals of the 2020(1) Olympic Team Trials but fell to fellow Penn State grad, David Taylor, the eventual gold medalist. 

We’ll keep you posted once an opponent for Nickal has been named or any other RAF updates. 

With Nickal’s addition, the RAF roster now looks like this: 

Ben Askren

Beau Bartlett

Kennedy Blades

Aaron Brooks

Darrion Caldwell

David Carr

Kyle Dake

Austin Gomez

James Green

Seth Gross

Wyatt Hendrickson

Zeltzin Hernandez

Sarah Hildebrandt

Trent Hidlay

Parker Keckeisen

Will Lewan

Bo Nickal

Austin O'Connor

Lance Palmer

Matt Ramos

Alejandra Rivera

Nathan Tomasello

Zahid Valencia

Evan Wick

Real Woods

Hayden Zillmer

The matches announced thus far for RAF’s first event on August 30th are:

• Real Woods vs. Darrion Caldwell (145 lbs)
• Austin Gomez vs. Lance Palmer (155 lbs)
• Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Zeltzin Hernandez Guerra (120 lbs)
• Kennedy Blades vs. Alejandra Rivera Arriaga (150 lbs)
• James Green vs. Austin O'Connor (155 lbs)
• Aaron Brooks vs. Hayden Zillmer (UNL)