Olympic champion Kyle Snyder has no interest in facing UFC fighters in RAF: ‘I want to wrestle the best guys’

ZAGREB, CROATIA - FEBRUARY 6: Kyle Frederick Snyder of the USA during UWW Grand Prix Ranking Series Zagreb Open 2025 Men's Freestyle 97kg weight class gold medal match on February 6, 2025 at Arena Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia. (Photo by Matija Habljak/Pixsell/MB Media/Getty Images) | Getty Images Kyle Snyder is already one of the most accomplished American wrestlers in history with Olympic gold and silver medals on his resume along being a four-time World Champion and he’s not done adding to that legacy. While he once held the record as the youngest American wrestler to ever capture gold at the Olympics (a feat Gable Steveson took from him during the 2020 games), Snyder is now the elder statesman at 30 years old but remaining a stalwart for success when it comes to wrestling in the U.

S. and he’s not slowing down any time soon. Snyder has designs on the 2026 World Championships before turning his attention to the 2028 Olympics, which are being held in Los Angeles but in the meantime he’s staying busy with an ultra-important rematch booked against fellow Olympic champion Akhmed Tazhudinov at RAF 7 on Saturday.

In two career meetings, Tazhudinov scored a tech fall win over Snyder at the World Championships and then beat him again during the 2024 Olympics. Snyder now looks for a little taste of revenge in their third encounter. “He’s good in many different ways,” Snyder told MMA Fighting about Tazhudinov.

“Obviously defensively, he is a very strong scrambler. He’s very good at countering you and rolling you through, putting you on your back and things like that. He’s very good at finishing when he gets his hands locked on your leg.