Overview
- Nickal told The Schmo on Aug. 21 that he expects a UFC fight with Chimaev to happen before any Real American Freestyle wrestling match and said he would still like the RAF meeting to occur.
- Both fighters are booked for RAF Moscow on Sept. 5, with Chimaev headlining against Tyron Woodley and Nickal set to wrestle Olympic gold medalist Shirvani Muradov on the undercard.
- Nickal says he wants a two-sport rivalry, predicting he could beat Chimaev in both MMA and wrestling and previously suggested he might be a heavy favorite, citing specific perceived 'holes' in Chimaev’s game.
- Practical barriers make an immediate UFC clash unlikely: Nickal is still building his UFC résumé while Chimaev is linked to higher-profile matchups and both men face contractual and scheduling constraints.
- RAF has been stacking recognizable wrestlers and ex-UFC names to grow international reach, a tactic that creates crossover interest but also compresses schedules and complicates turning public callouts into formal MMA bookings.