Bo Nickal Returns to Wrestling, Signs with Hulk Hogan’s New Organization

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While mixed martial arts has been his primary area of focus in recent years, Bo Nickal isn’t done with wrestling just yet.

The former three-time NCAA national champion from Penn State University has signed with Real American Freestyle Wrestling (RAF), the organization led by pro wrestling icon Hulk Hogan, former World Championship Wrestling senior vice president Eric Bischoff and wrestling coach Izzy Martinez. RAF, which has a mission to “professionalize competitive wrestling and create a platform for elite athletes to compete in front of millions of fans,” announced the news via social media on Wednesday.

“I’m gonna be pursuing something new, pursuing something different that’s maybe a little bit foreign to a lot of the MMA fans that listen to this show. But there’s this lesser known sport called wresting — it’s a really great base for professional MMA. I’m gonna throw my hat in the ring and doing some professional wrestling matches with Real American Freestyle promotion,” Nickal said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.”

“So Aug. 30 I’ll be competing in Cleveland, Ohio, and putting the singlet and shoes on and seeing how it goes. I’m excited.”

That Aug. 30 date is expected to be RAF’s debut event. Nickal added that the deal won’t conflict with his UFC contract, comparing the new venture to fighters who compete in grappling outside the Las Vegas-based promotion.

Nickal: There’s Room for Me to Compete in Wrestling and MMA

“I think at the same time there’s room for me to compete in wrestling. You see a lot of guys do jiu-jitsu matches. I just have the fire in me to compete as much as I can. Realistically with fighting, I’ve been getting two fights a year. I think that’s probably gonna be continuing, that’s gonna be the trend, which is fine with me. I’m 29 years old, in my prime and I’m just fired up to compete.

“The thing about a wrestling match is it’s just so much different from a fight in the preparation. I could step on to the mat right now with no warm up and compete with the best guys in the world. With MMA, it’s a little different, you want to prepare … I’m looking to get a few wrestling matches in between the fights. I think it’ll just keep me sharp and keep me motivated and hungry.”

Nickal entered MMA as one of the most highly-touted prospects in recent memory. After a pair of quick finishes on Dana White's Contender Series, Nickal was victorious in his first four Octagon appearances. That hype hit a roadblock in his last outing, however, when he suffered a second-round TKO defeat to Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines on May 3. Nickal doesn’t currently have a fight booked in the UFC.

"Bo Nickal is a tremendous athlete and one of the most accomplished wrestlers on the planet,” said Hogan, who is the commissioner of RAF, in a release. “Nickal immediately elevates the RAF roster to new heights with his competitiveness and experience. When fans attend an RAF event they know they’re going to see the best of the best on the mat.”