Olympic wrestling champion Kyle Snyder is laser-focused on the upcoming World Championships, but he's opened the door to one intriguing crossover possibility. After previously dismissing the idea of facing UFC fighters, Snyder has revealed there's a single champion he'd be willing to step onto the mat with: UFC middleweight king Khamzat Chimaev.

Fresh off a historic win over fellow Olympic gold medalist Akhmed Tazhudinov and with a title defense at RAF 8 on the horizon, Snyder's competitive options are vast. However, the allure of testing his world-class wrestling against Chimaev's formidable grappling base presents a unique challenge. "I've seen clips of him wrestling and I think he's pretty good," Snyder told MMA Fighting. "He's similar to Arman [Tsarukyan] where you watch him wrestle and you're like wow, pretty good. They know what they're doing."

Chimaev, who bypassed a traditional international wrestling career to become a UFC superstar, has trained with elite company, including Snyder's legendary rival, multi-time Olympic champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev. This connection adds serious credibility to Chimaev's skills. "To me, that would be one of the only matches I'd be interested in," Snyder admitted, highlighting the matchup's appeal.

While his primary goal remains a fourth Olympic appearance in 2028, Snyder respects Chimaev's fearless, alpha mentality in the octagon and believes it would translate to a compelling contest under RAF rules. "The thing I like about Khamzat is he's fearless," Snyder said. "He competes like he's the alpha. I think he would take that same approach."

Beyond the UFC, Snyder also left the door open for a future dream match against another American Olympic gold medalist, Gable Steveson, noting that the timing would need to be right for both athletes. For now, Snyder's focus is on the world's best pure wrestlers, but the prospect of a super-fight against a dominant UFC champion has certainly captured his—and the combat sports world's—attention.