Nikki Bella Asks for Legal & Physical Custody of Son in Divorce Docs

Nikki Bella wants to keep her son with her … asking for legal and physical custody of her son Matteo in her divorce from Artem Chigvintsev.

The former WWE star cites irreconcilable differences in the dissolution docs … citing August 29 as the date of separation, the day Artem was arrested for criminal corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant.

Bella checked the box to block the court’s ability to award spousal support to either of them.

As for their son, Matteo, who turned 4 in July … Nikki wants legal and physical custody, but is open to Artem getting visitation rights.

As we told you … Artem originally called 911 at the end of August to request medical assistance for the alleged victim … only to call paramedics off minutes later. Cops still showed up and arrested him.

Formal charges have not yet been brought against Artem for the incident … though we’re told investigators turned the case over to prosecutors last week.

We also told you Nikki filed for divorce yesterday … not exactly a surprise given she’s ditched her wedding ring in recent days — filming the Chestnut vs. Kobayashi hotdog-eating contest sans ring days after the incident.