Kyle Dake vs. Mahamedkhabib Kadimagomedov - An Olympic-Sized Rematch.

When most American wrestling fans think of the 2020 Olympics images of Gable Steveson, David Taylor and Tamyra Mensah-Stock on the podium come to mind but tucked into the memorable year was Kyle Dake’s loss to Belarus’ future silver medalist, Mahamedkhabib Kadimagomedov.

It’s been a long time coming and the rematch is upon us.

Every sport has generational talent we may be used to seeing and will one day speak of the height of their career. One of those such athletes is Kyle Dake. From his accomplishments as the first four-time NCAA Champion in four weight classes to his four-straight Worlds titles, four-straight Pan Am Championships and an RAF Cruiserweight title, the Hodge Trophy winner has truly seen the top of the mountain. Lucky for us, he’s still got a lot of wrestling left to do.

Outside of an Olympic gold medal, there’s not much hardware Dake doesn’t have. It’s hard to find matchups that may push him further in his training than he’s already accustomed to pushing himself but waiting for him at RAF05 is one of the only men who might hold real estate in the champ’s head. In walks Mahamedkhabib “Kadik” Kadimagomedov

Very few times has Dake ever met his match and even fewer times has he met his match in the biggest matches. Kadik’s 11-0 tech fall victory not only took gold medal hopes away from Dake but also had wrestling fans across the world asking questions, was Dake done or is Kadik even better than advertised?

Dake would go on a 26-0 run following the loss, medal again in the 2024 Olympic and claim RAF cruiserweight title.

Dake is far from finished and Kadik has never looked better. The rematch is here and it’s arguably the biggest match in RAF’s early career.

The Breakdown

Dake: Olympic Bronze Medalist and multiple-time World Champion known for elite positioning, hand fighting and match control. Dake excels at slowing the pace on his terms, capitalizing on mistakes and shutting down opponents late when matches are on the line. At no point in any match is Dake out of striking range.

Kadik: World-level contender known for his physicality, upper-body strength and ability to turn close-range exchanges into scoring opportunities. Kadik thrives in grinding matches where pressure and power wear opponents down.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Kadik Closing the Gap: The key for Kadik will be collapsing space early and often. If he can force extended tie-ups and upper-body contact, he can drag Dake into uncomfortable exchanges where one moment can swing the match.

Dake Dictating Distance: If Dake can keep this match in open space and control ties, he can neutralize Kadik’s biggest weapons and force him to chase points rather than impose his will as he was able to against Dustin Plott.

Kadik’s Upper Hand: Both men are the top 1% in the sport, they have as many weapons as they have World titles but it all comes down to the elephant in the room which is Kadik’s tech fall victory over Dake. With so few people who have ever had the Hodge Trophy winner’s number, how will he mentally approach the biggest rematch of his career?

It won’t be the last anticipated rematch in RAF’s history but it’s hard to imagine we top an Olympic rematch five years in the making any time soon.

Will Kyle Dake continue decorating his mantle and avenge his Olympic loss or will Kadik’s cruiserweight reign officially begin? Find out Saturday, January 10 ONLY on Fox Nation!