Colby Covington Rejects Multiple UFC White House Offers, Nickal Says
Bo Nickal said colby covington walked away from mixed martial arts rather than take a UFC White House fight with him. Nickal said the former welterweight title challenger received multiple offers for the June 14 card in Washington, DC, then passed each time.
Nickal's account of Covington
At Wednesday's UFC White House media day, Nickal said his conversations with UFC matchmaker Hunter Campbell backed up his version of how the matchup unfolded. “this date, this date, this date … offered, offered, offered … I don't know what you want me to do,” Nickal said while describing the repeated bids.
He also went a step further on Covington's exit from the sport. “It's crazy that he doesn't want to fight me so bad that he ended his entire career,” Nickal said, then added, “Probably a smart move by his part.”
Covington announced his retirement last month and said he planned to pursue a role with Real American Freestyle, a new wrestling venture. Nickal said the timing pointed back to the fight offers, though Covington has disputed being offered the matchup.
UFC White House card in Washington
The dispute sits around the June 14 UFC White House card in Washington, DC, where the matchup would have put one of the UFC's better-known names opposite an unbeaten middleweight still climbing through the division. Nickal remains unbeaten through six UFC appearances and owns a 7-0 professional record.
That record is part of why the callout drew attention. He is not talking like a fighter waiting on a ranking boost; he is talking like someone who believes a high-profile slot was there and was turned down before he could get it.
Kyle Daukaus on Saturday
Nickal said he has respect for Covington as a competitor but not as a person, and he said the matchup will never happen. For now, his focus shifts to Saturday, when he faces Kyle Daukaus in an unranked middleweight bout.
That leaves the White House card without the fight Nickal believes was on offer and pushes Covington's exit into the center of the discussion around the event. The issue is no longer whether Nickal wants the bout; it is whether the offers were real and why Covington chose another path.
