Colby Covington denies interest in Bo Nickal match at RAF: 'He's a spoiled little brat'

For those who wanted to see Colby Covington and Bo Nickal get into a UFC cage or on the Real American Freestyle mat, you’ll be disappointed. At least for now!

Covington, fresh off a 5-4 win over UFC Hall of Famer Chris Weidman at RAF 09 Saturday in Dallas, was asked about a potential match against Nickal, a three-time NCAA champion from Penn State. He didn’t have interest despite some social media back and forth between the two.

Covington, the former UFC interim welterweight champ, said he is retired from the UFC and has his sights set on big matches in RAF. Nickal is not one of them right now, despite being on both UFC and RAF rosters.

“He’s a spoiled little brat, you know, he’s not about this company,” Covington said after RAF 09. “He could have wrestled last time, he pulled out because the guy missed weight by a couple pounds, (he) was 50 years old, so you know, I want someone that’s dependable, is a real professional, and someone that’s made his name. 

“He hasn’t made a name in the UFC yet. Who’s he beat that’s even ranked? That’s right, nobody, so I got bigger and better business with some stars. You know, like Arman’s a star,  want (Khamzat Chimaev), you know, he’s a star. Marty Usman, you know, Palestinian Pinocchio: Belal Muhammad. There’s some bigger matchups and after I finish those matchups, maybe we’ll entertain (Nickal).”

Nickal won the inaugural light heavyweight championship during RAF’s debut event. However, he was later stripped of the title earlier this year when the weight class changed its maximum from 205 to 215 pounds. But let’s not forget, Nickal is one of the best wrestlers of his generation. He was a three-time NCAA champion and four-time finalist for Penn State.

Nickal, 30, is 8-1 in his MMA career, including 5-1 in the UFC. His most recent win came on November 15th with a KO via head kick over Rodolfo Vieira. Nickal is scheduled to take on Kyle Daukaus on June 14th at UFC Freedom 250 at The White House.

He won’t fight Covington, as Nickal is a middleweight and Covington was a welterweight. Not to mention, Covington is all in on wrestling now.

Still, a match between the two is exciting on paper, considering the trash talk. Covington weighed over 190 pounds for his match against Weidman on Saturday. 190 pounds might be the weight Nickal makes a return to RAF at since he called out 2026 NCAA champion Max McEnelly in March.

For now, Covington will wrestle Arman Tsarukyan at RAF 11 on July 18th in Milwaukee, serving as the main event. Nickal has a fight coming up, so it remains to be seen when he’ll return to the wrestling mat.