Bo Nickal claims the UFC was interested in matching him up against Colby Covington at the White House.
The beef between the pair started when Covington (17-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC) took aim at Nickal during the RAF 5 press conference. The former interim welterweight champion accused Nickal of killing the sport of wrestling with his lack of personality.
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So when Covington expressed interest in a move up to middleweight, Nickal (8-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) jumped at the opportunity to call him out for UFC Freedom 250 on June 14. Nickal alleges the UFC told Covington that the only way he’d fight at the White House would be against him, but Covington declined.
“I asked for him, and the UFC tried to make the fight. I know they talked to him extensively and long story short, he just wouldn’t do it,” Nickal said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “I think they even told him like, ‘Hey, if you want to be on this card, you have to fight Bo,’ and he said no.
“So, he would rather be a coward and not fight me than be on the White House card, which is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I think that says pretty much everything about the guy that he’s willing to talk like that, make those statements, and tell me I’m easy work, and given this huge opportunity to compete against me still wouldn’t do it.”
Covington has been one of President Donald Trump’s biggest advocates, so competing at the White House should have been a no-brainer. So why did he not accept to fight Nickal?
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“Because he knows I’ll kill him,” Nickal responded. “Everyone knows it would be basically leading a lamb to slaughter.”
Instead, Nickal has been matched up against Kyle Daukaus (17-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC), who is 2-0 since returning to the UFC.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Freedom 250: Bo Nickal slams Colby Covington for being a ‘coward’
