During a recent appearance on the Ariel Helwani Show, UFC middleweight Bo Nickal alleged that former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington declined a bout against him at the anticipated UFC White House event. Covington swiftly refuted these claims, launching a scathing attack on the wrestling sensation.
“Absolutely false,” Covington stated. “Hunter [Campbell] and the UFC never even considered, let alone offered, such a fight. Why would the organization arrange a matchup for me in a higher weight class against an unranked fighter?” Covington challenged.
Covington then branded Nickal as “Bozo Nickal,” asserting, “This is a guy who notoriously quit in front of the entire world. He fancies himself a fighter, but he’s merely a competitor. We all witnessed his performance against Dutch grappler RDR (Reinier de Ridder); the moment the fight intensified, he folded. He’s a quitter. The UFC would never present me with a bout against a quitter. Therefore, they never offered it. Frankly, I would have relished that fight at the White House; it would have been a walkover.” Covington elaborated, “He possesses no striking ability, nor can he grapple effectively enough to keep me grounded. It would be an effortless victory.” He concluded his tirade with a particularly harsh remark: “Bozo, Bo Nickal is worse than [Jerry] Sandusky.”
Covington speculated that Nickal might have been fed incorrect information, believing this scenario to be highly probable.
“That’s precisely the issue,” Covington explained. “Bo doesn’t manage his own affairs, so he’s entirely out of the loop. He’s likely just parroting what his manager tells him, whereas I engage directly with the UFC. I speak with Hunter myself; we’re in constant communication. Nickal has never interacted with Hunter or any high-ranking UFC official because he’s never headlined an event.” Covington continued his tirade, labelling Nickal “an absolute nobody.” “Fans despise him, I despise him, Penn State despises him. Nobody cares for him because he’s so entitled, always acting privileged despite having earned nothing. He’s famously pulled out of fights against 50-year-old Yoel Romero not once, but twice. He’s not a team player. He’s afraid to fight, even afraid to wrestle, having withdrawn from two wrestling matches. He’s unreliable, unranked, and simply a Bozo – a nobody. He’s not worth my time,” Covington stated unequivocally. “They never offered the fight. He’s a Bozo, and he’s worse than Sandusky.”
