Bo Nickal vs. Yoel Romero rescheduled for RAF 16

Bo Nickal and Yoel Romero are set to face off again in an exciting matchup at RAF 16, scheduled for December 19 in Long Island, N.Y. This marks the third opportunity for the highly anticipated bout between these two formidable wrestlers. The first opportunity came at RAF 4, but Nickal had to withdraw due to unspecified reasons. The matchup was later rescheduled for RAF 5, but Romero missed weight, resulting in the event being canceled once more.

Fans can now look forward to witnessing Nickal and Romero's clash once more, this time as a catchweight fight.

Nickal, currently ranked in the top 15 in the UFC's middleweight division, is a former collegiate wrestler with three NCAA Division I national championships under his belt. He transitioned to MMA in 2021 and recently secured a decision win over Shirvani Gadzhikurbanovich Muradov, an Olympic gold medalist, in September. Romero, at 49, has experienced mixed results since his last MMA appearance in 2024.

Following a victory over UFC veteran Thiago Santos at a PFL vs. Bellator event, he faced defeat against Darren Till in a bare-knuckle bout and against Stephen Buchanan in his most recent RAF appearance, both by technical falls. During his tenure with the UFC, Romero served as a consistent middleweight title contender, facing off against champions like Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker without securing a win.