Fresh off the turbulence surrounding his withdrawal from RAF 5, Bo Nickal has pivoted from controversy to ambition. Instead of revisiting the Yoel Romero situation or entertaining half-measures, Nickal has now aimed higher.

He’s calling for a meeting with one of the most dominant freestyle wrestlers to ever step on a mat. And the message is clear: if Real American Freestyle is about crowning the best, then let’s test it properly. So who’s next for Bo Nickal on the RAF mats? According to him, it should be Abdulrashid Sadulaev.

Nickal made his intentions public in a post that quickly rippled through social media. “It would be my honor to compete against one of the best of all time,” the Penn State star wrote. “A match up everyone would want to see. I am ready, let’s do it.”

Real American Freestyle recently confirmed that Sadulaev, often referred to as ‘The Russian Tank’, has signed an exclusive deal with the promotion. That alone shifted the gravity of the RAF overnight. After all, Sadulaev isn’t just decorated; he’s historically dominant.

He won Olympic gold in 2016 and 2020 and has secured world titles across three weight classes. ‘The Russian Tank’ boasts a staggering freestyle record of 160–6 and also holds wins over American legends like Kyle Snyder and David Taylor. For many, he’s the measuring stick of an era.

That’s why this callout feels different. It’s not marketing fluff. It’s a collision of résumés as Nickal, for his part, is no stranger to elite company. A three-time NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner, he is currently the RAF light heavyweight champion. He has positioned himself as one of the faces of the promotion’s effort to professionalize wrestling for modern audiences.

Yet, the backdrop to this moment is still fresh. At RAF 5, Nickal was scheduled to wrestle Yoel Romero in one of the most anticipated bouts on the card. That match never happened. Romero missed weight by seven pounds, coming in at 212 for a contracted 205-pound matchup. Nickal refused to compete, a decision that drew a lot of scrutiny and backlash.

The American wrestler later explained to Ariel Helwani, “This is a professional sporting event. I came in professional, and unfortunately, he didn’t. It is what it is. I was ready to wrestle. If he made the weight, we’re going, obviously. So that’s not on me.”

Now, by calling out Sadulaev, Bo Nickal is seemingly doubling down on that seriousness. However, the Russian isn’t the only opponent in his crosshairs as he’s also taken aim at Colby Covington for a showdown at the White House!

Bo Nickal takes aim at “phony” Colby Covington, demands a clash on the White House card

Nickal’s issues with Covington bubbled over during the RAF 5 press conference, where ‘Chaos’ took shots at his wrestling résumé and even dragged Nickal’s lone MMA loss into the exchange. For Nickal, that seemingly crossed a line, and appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show, he made it clear he wasn’t interested in trading barbs for the sake of headlines; he wanted consequences.

According to him, “I think we do it in the UFC in June, and I can absolutely rip that guy apart, send him packing, and end his career. So, that’s what I’m looking forward to doing cause I don’t think that he would ever in a million years wrestle me. As far as fighting, the UFC, I think, isn’t super happy with him, so there’s a chance they’ll just make him fight me.”

The former NCAA champion then went a step further, revisiting comments Covington made about moving up to middleweight. When wrestling fans asked why he wouldn’t fight Nickal, Covington brushed him off.

That response only fueled Nickal, who fired back by saying if he’s really such an “easy check,” then they should fight, and he’ll embarrass Covington in front of the world.

He also revealed he’s serious enough about the matchup to try and push it politically, saying he plans to reach out directly to President Donald Trump to help make the fight happen. In Nickal’s eyes, Covington is all talk, labeling him a “fake” and a “phony” who benefited from entering MMA at a time when few fighters could neutralize his wrestling.

Bo Nickal’s latest run of callouts paints a clear picture of where his head is at. He’s chasing validation at the highest possible level, whether that’s on the RAF mats against Abdulrashid Sadulaev or under the UFC lights at the White House against Colby Covington!