The UFC is heading to the White House this June, and while the card is still under wraps, one name is already circling the event with purpose: Bo Nickal. The former Penn State wrestling standout has made it clear-he wants in, and he’s got a particular opponent in mind.
Nickal, now 8-1 in his UFC career, is eyeing the historic event as the next step in his MMA journey. After dispatching Rodolfo Vieira in November, the decorated wrestler has been planning for this moment. And it’s not just the stage that excites him-it’s who might be standing across from him.
Enter Colby Covington.
The outspoken welterweight has taken aim at Nickal in recent weeks, criticizing him for not wrestling Yoel Romero in a Real American Freestyle bout after Romero missed weight. Covington didn’t hold back, calling Nickal a “coward” and a “quitter,” even mocking him with the nickname “Bozo Nickal.”
The verbal jabs have been relentless, but Nickal isn’t brushing them off. In fact, he’s embracing the heat.
“I think that the Colby matchup makes so much sense, especially considering the last RAF event, how everything went,” Nickal said. “And then him declaring that he’s going up to middleweight. That’s just something that I feel like-it’s the fight to make.”
Nickal’s motivation here isn’t just about rankings or resumes. This one feels personal. For a guy who’s always approached his fights with a businesslike mentality, that’s a shift in tone.
“Every single guy I’ve competed against up until this point in MMA, I haven’t really had motivation to beat that person up specifically,” he said. “The opponent was just the opponent. This one is definitely a little more personal, obviously, with a lot of the comments he’s made.”
Covington, for his part, hasn’t pulled any punches. He’s questioned Nickal’s toughness, his credentials, and even his desire to compete.
“He’s a quitter,” Covington said. “The fact that he didn’t want to wrestle a guy who missed weight by a couple of pounds-the guy’s 17 years older than you.
He’s like almost 50 years old. Why are you worried about a guy who’s almost 50?”
He continued, “That’s two times in a row he’s pulled out to wrestle Yoel Romero. It’s embarrassing, but it makes sense.
We all know Bozo Nickal is a quitter. … He’s a coward.
He’s not a real fighter. … He’s never accomplished anything.”
That last line is especially bold, considering Nickal’s résumé. During his time at Penn State from 2016 to 2019, Nickal captured three national titles and three Big Ten championships. He also won the U23 World Championship in 2019-a career that places him among the elite in American amateur wrestling.
Now, he’s translating that pedigree into a promising MMA career. And while he’s been content to let his performances speak for themselves, Covington’s words have clearly struck a chord.
“There’s extra motivation there for me, which would make it a lot of fun,” Nickal said.
A potential showdown between Nickal and Covington would be more than just a clash of styles-it’d be a collision of egos, backgrounds, and bad blood. With Covington reportedly moving up to middleweight, the stars could be aligning for a fight that brings real stakes and real tension to the White House lawn.
No official matchups have been announced yet, but if the UFC is looking to make a statement with this historic event, Nickal vs. Covington might just be the one to circle in bold.