The ongoing debate over the wrestling capabilities of elite Dagestani and Chechen fighters has received a blunt reality check from Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder.
While dominant UFC fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, and Khamzat Chimaev have built their global reputations on grappling and relentless takedowns, Snyder dismissed their wrestling against the highest tier of Olympic wrestlers.
Speaking on the Weighing In podcast, the 2016 Rio gold medalist and 2020 Tokyo silver medalist clarified the technical gap between mixed martial arts grappling and international freestyle wrestling.
When asked what would happen if the three Russian mixed martial artists (Khabib, Islam, and Chimaev) were kept in the same room with Olympic-level wrestlers. The 30-year-old medalist gave a direct answer that the outcome would be definitively bad for the UFC champions.
Snyder acknowledged they are the best fighters in the world right now, but noted their pure wrestling skills have a hard limit. He suggested they could hold their own against collegiate athletes but would fail against Olympic competition.
Let’s be honest. Khabib, Chimaev, Islam, those three guys, if you were to put them into a wrestling room with Olympic level wrestlers, how would they do?” Interviewer asked.
Oh, Olympic level wrestlers. Uh, it probably be it’d be bad for them, but um I mean that’s wrestling. Obviously, these guys are the best in the world at fighting, but I think that they would do well against maybe some collegiate guys, but Olympic level, NO,” Snyder replied. (Timestamp: 28:00-28:44)
Snyder also analyzed a theoretical wrestling match between Khamzat Chimaev and undefeated UFC Middleweight contender Bo Nickal. Chimaev routinely overwhelms UFC opponents with relentless chain grappling and aggressive takedowns.
Nickal entered mixed martial arts after completing a legendary amateur wrestling career. He secured three NCAA Division I national championships during his tenure at Penn State University.
When the interviewer asked, If we took Bo Nickal and Chamay, who wins?” Snyder immediately predicted Nickal would win the contest. He justified his pick by noting Nickal remains one of the top active wrestlers in America today.
Bo. I mean, Bo is one of the Bo is one of the top wrestlers in America,” Kyle Snyder said.
Snyder’s assessment is likely to add another layer to the long-running debate over how elite UFC wrestlers would fare under Olympic freestyle rules. His comments leave little room for doubt about where he believes the gap exists.
When is Kyle Snyder’s next wrestling match?
Kyle Snyder will face his career-defining rival Abdulrashid Sadulaev this Saturday, July 11, 2026, at the Real American Freestyle (RAF) event in Tbilisi, Georgia.
This upcoming bout marks the sixth meeting between the two decorated freestyle wrestlers. Every previous encounter between these athletes featured a gold medal on the line. Snyder currently trails 1-3 in their active head-to-head series.
The rivalry began in 2017 when Snyder snapped Sadulaev’s 75-match winning streak in Paris. Sadulaev secured victories in their subsequent matchups, including the Tokyo 2020 Olympic final and the 2021 World Championships in Oslo. Sadulaev remains one of the most effective counter-wrestlers in international competition today.
During the interview, Snyder explained why he considers the Russian legend such a difficult opponent. He praised Sadulaev’s unique physique and elite defensive wrestling, describing him as one of the greatest counter-wrestlers the sport has ever seen.
I think he is special in a lot of ways. I mean, first of all, his body is almost made for wrestling. Like, his torso seems to be like twice as long as his legs. It’s like really weird the way that his body is made up. And I think that that makes it difficult to get to his legs. It also makes like his stance and I mean, he’s like one of the greatest counter wrestlers of all time. (Timestamp: 8:17-8:44)
Despite trailing in their rivalry, Snyder believes his mindset has changed significantly ahead of this meeting. Unlike previous encounters, where he felt he needed to wrestle a flawless match to win, the Olympic champion said he will be entering the contest without fear.
