Colby Covington Turned Down White House UFC Card To Avoid Bo Nickal, Claims Rising Star
At middleweight, Bo Nickal is usually respectful and does not look for conflict. But he has been waiting for a fight with Colby Covington. According to Nickal, the UFC told Covington he could get on the White House card if he fought him. Nickal says Covington turned down the fight and chose to stay home.
Nickal added the obvious financial layer himself, suggesting Covington likely wanted more money than the UFC was willing to attach to the matchup, which gave both sides a reason to walk away without either having to say the quiet part out loud.
“They told him if you want to be on the White House card, you gotta fight Bo. He decided he didn’t want to fight me and it was worth it to not be on the card. I’m sure he probably wanted more money. The UFC probably didn’t want to pay more,” Nickal said on the Pound-for-Pound podcast.
Bo Nickal says UFC told Colby Covington he’d only get on the White House card if he fought him but Colby said no 👀
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) March 12, 2026
“They told him if you want to be on the White House card, you gotta fight Bo.”
“He decided he didn’t want to fight me and it was worth it to not be on the card.”… pic.twitter.com/HWlL9AA8op
The backstory between these two has been building for a while. Covington and Luke Rockhold made comments about Nickal that landed as dismissive and personal enough to draw a direct response. Nickal offered to fight both of them and stated plainly that he would humiliate Covington given the opportunity. The fight never materialized then, and it will not be materializing on the White House lawn either, as Nickal already has an opponent now.
Bo Nickal Vs. Kyle Daukaus Set for UFC White House Card
Nickal will instead fight Kyle Daukaus at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14, a matchup that carries genuine stakes for where his career goes next. His first professional loss in 2025 was the kind of result that changes how a prospect gets discussed, moving him from an unbeaten phenomenon to a fighter with something to prove.
The bounce-back win over Rodolfo Vieira answered some questions about his mentality and his ability to respond under pressure, but Daukaus represents a different kind of test.
Daukaus was released by the UFC, went out and built a six-fight winning streak compelling enough to earn a second contract, and now returns as exactly the kind of opponent the promotion uses to find out whether a fighter is ready for the next level or still needs seasoning. Beating him cleanly would push Nickal back toward the title conversation at middleweight.
Colby Covington Turned Down White House UFC Card To Avoid Bo Nickal, Claims Rising Star
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