Bo Nickal has no interest in rebooking his match against Yoel Romero, who missed weight for their bout, and is instead focusing on other potential opponents, criticizing the main event selection at RAF 5.
Bo Nickal isn’t keen on rescheduling his bout with Yoel Romero after the Olympic silver medalist missed weight for their light heavyweight clash at RAF 5 on Saturday. Originally a highly anticipated match, it was canceled when Romero exceeded the 205-pound limit. Nickal opted out, leaving Romero to face Stephen Buchanan, the 2025 NCAA champion from Iowa.
“For me, wrestling is about competing, but making weight is part of that,” Nickal remarked, noting Romero weighed in at 212 pounds. “Showing up seven pounds over is disrespectful to the sport.” He added that many booing fans might not grasp the dedication required in wrestling.
Nickal emphasized, “Every wrestler who’s made weight knows what it takes. I was ready, but my opponent wasn’t.” This match had already been scheduled and canceled twice, with Nickal withdrawing from the original RAF 4 showdown. The rebooking for RAF 5 fell through again due to Romero’s weight issues.
Frankly, Nickal isn’t interested in a third attempt unless Romero can hit 205 pounds. “I think he’s a heavyweight,” Nickal said, pointing out Romero’s struggle coming down from over 230 pounds. “I weigh 205 naturally and fight at 185 in the UFC. If he can’t make weight, I don’t care. I’ve got other opponents in mind.”
With Romero out of the picture, Nickal quickly shifted focus to the RAF 5 headliners—Colby Covington versus former UFC middleweight champ Luke Rockhold. Covington, a former All-American wrestler, and Rockhold, known for his UFC and Strikeforce titles, headline the event.
However, Nickal feels Olympic medalists like Kyle Dake and Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov deserve the spotlight. “There are a couple of fake wrestlers in the main event,” Nickal commented. “It’s a travesty they’re there over legit competitors like Kadi Magomedov and [Kyle] Dake.”
“Either one of those guys, I’d love to tear them limb from limb and send them packing,” he concluded.