Bo Nickal fires at Colby Covington for avoiding UFC White House callout

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Bo Nickal is still pushing for a showdown with another American wrestler.

The UFC card at the White House, in June, has attracted plenty of interest, and Nickal is among those expected to get the nod for a spot on the card.

While Conor McGregor and Ilia Topuria are vying for top billing in Washington D.C., the accomplished collegiate wrestler appears well positioned for a slot on the undercard.

Nickal has set his sights on Colby Covington following their heated exchange at the Real American Freestyle 5 press conference back in January.

However, instead of challenging his fellow countryman in the middleweight division, ‘Chaos’ recently focused on a weight class below his own.

Bo Nickal accuses Colby Covington of avoiding their fight and targeting Paddy Pimblett

Covington has not stepped into the Octagon since December 2024, but there are rumours of a return later this year.

He is eyeing what he believes could be the biggest fight of his career at the White House in June, and it looks like he wants it to be against former lightweight title challenger Paddy Pimblett.

The two first crossed paths backstage at UFC 314 last April, and Covington has been calling out Pimblett ever since. The interest from both sides has only grown louder since then.

Nickal took notice of Covington’s push to bring ‘The Baddy’ up to 170 pounds and fired back on social media, saying that Covington was avoiding their own match-up.

He posted on X: “Colby talks c— about me then says he wants to move to 185 (pounds). I say okay let’s fight at the White House. Now he’s trying to run away.

“What a wimp. Man up and take your beating @ColbyCovMMA”

Bo Nickal risks repeating past mistakes in potential Colby Covington bout

Covington may be well past his prime, with only one win since 2020, but he would still be a notable step up in competition for Nickal.

That move comes just a year and one fight after a rapid rise led to the American suffering his first professional loss in MMA.

Nickal lost by TKO to Reinier de Ridder. Afterwards, Mike Brown, the American Top Team coach, said that UFC pushed Nickal too quickly.

The 30-year-old faces similar dangers in a potential bout against a former interim welterweight champion, a fighter who has tested himself against elite competition.