Yoel Romero and Bo Nickal’s ultimate freestyle wrestling bout was originally scheduled for the RAF 4 event, and fans were excited to witness yet another veteran vs. young gun matchup. However, the UFC middleweight contender withdrew from the event for undisclosed reasons, raising doubts about whether the matchup would happen at all. Well, good news for wrestling fans, as the two are now scheduled to meet next month at RAF 5.

At the last RAF event, the former UFC middleweight contender proved why he’s still one of the most vicious and terrifying combat sports athletes around. At 48 years old, Romero completely dominated his opponent, former Bellator fighter Pat Downey, with a perfect 10-0 pinfall to win the interim light heavyweight championship. Next? The Cuban used his iconic “see you soon, boy” line to call out Bo Nickal, and now they are officially set to collide at RAF 5 on January 10.

Yoel Romero vs Bo Nickal rescheduled for RAF 5

“Yoel Romero vs. Bo Nickal rebooked for RAF 5,” MMA Fighting posted on X, breaking the news of this highly anticipated clash. For the unversed, Real American Freestyle Wrestling’s fifth marquee event at Sunrise, Florida, will feature a much-awaited headliner between Colby Covington and Luke Rockhold. After a year away from any competition, the former interim welterweight champion will return to action against the former middleweight champion. Also, fans are understandably stoked for the matchup, even though there’s no title on the line.

On the same card, Bo Nickal will defend his RAF light heavyweight title against Yoel Romero, who won the interim belt by defeating Pat Downey in the co-main event. With that announcement, the top two matchups on the card are already looking stacked and star-studded. Still, there’s another exciting bout that could potentially be added to the freestyle wrestling lineup.

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At the RAF 4 main event, Wyatt Hendrickson earned an emphatic victory against Mason Parris. Following the win, the former NCAA champion decided to raise the stakes for his next outing, calling out an ultra-famous WWE star and accomplished boxer to share the mat.

Wyatt Hendrickson called out the Paul brothers 

Earlier this year, the accomplished freestyle wrestler grabbed headlines after pulling off a massive upset against Gable Steveson at the NCAA Championships. Hendrickson then chose to showcase his mat skills at the late Hulk Hogan’s promotion as the next step in his career. After successfully passing the test against Mason Parris at RAF 4, he turned his attention to the Paul brothers, Jake and Logan, calling them out for a future showdown.

“I was watching some highlights this morning of a fight that happened yesterday on Netflix. I’ll tell you what, that Jake Paul guy looked like he was shooting more double legs than he was boxing. I want to see that man here. If not him, he loves going for heavyweights, but his brother Logan [Paul], if he wants it, I’m right here. Always. Any time. Anywhere. I will be there.”

Jake Paul is currently suspended after Anthony Joshua broke his jaw in their December 19 boxing bout, so the boxer will likely focus on recovery before making any decisions. However, Logan Paul could realistically step in against Hendrickson at a future event.

Logan has competed in professional wrestling with WWE and also has a background in college and university wrestling. In 2013, the YouTuber-turned-athlete qualified for the OHSAA Division I Championship, giving his name some legitimacy in the wrestling space. That said, will either of the Paul brothers actually appear at RAF with so little time left before the event? Only time will tell.

As RAF 5 continues to shape up into a spectacle, what do you think about UFC fighters and famous personalities trying their hand at wrestling? Let us know in the comments section below.