Bo Nickal targets 2026 NCAA champion McEnelly at RAF 12 after UFC White House finish

Bo Nickal will step back onto the wrestling mat less than a month after his latest UFC outing, facing 2026 NCAA national champion Max McEnelly at Real American Freestyle 12 in Cleveland on August 22. The matchup was announced by the wrestling organisation shortly after Nickal submitted Kyle Daukaus at UFC White House.

Nickal arrives as one of the most decorated wrestling-to-MMA prospects in recent memory. A three-time NCAA national champion at Penn State University, he has gone 9-1 as a professional fighter, compiling a 6-1 UFC record in which he has finished all but one opponent inside the distance. His only previous RAF appearance came at RAF 1, where he defeated Jacob Cardenas by decision. A planned bout with Yoel Romero for a subsequent RAF event fell apart when Romero missed weight.

McEnelly brings his own formidable credentials to the match. The University of Minnesota sophomore earned All-American honours as a freshman before claiming a national title at 184 pounds in his second collegiate season, making him one of the brightest young names in amateur wrestling.

The August 22 card carries additional weight beyond the Nickal-McEnelly clash. Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley is also scheduled to compete, facing current Octagon middleweight Joaquin Buckley in a crossover bout that adds a second layer of MMA-wrestling intrigue to the Cleveland event.