Covington Says No To Nickal Bout After RAF Loss

Colby Covington has pulled out of a potential grudge match against Bo Nickal after the middleweight suffered consecutive losses in different combat sports.

Nickal dropped a decision to NCAA champion Max McEnelly at Real American Freestyle 12 in Cleveland last weekend, his second setback after being stopped by Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines. The dual defeats have eroded Covington's interest in the bout, which appeared inevitable after both fighters traded barbs through most of 2025.

Covington Questions Nickal's Star Power

Speaking to Submission Radio, per MMA Junkie, Covington dismissed Nickal's credentials and marketability. "He talked a big game, but he can't go out there and get the job done," Covington said. "You quit to a Dutch grappler. You're not a world beater. You're a fraud. You're irrelevant to the business world." Covington added that the mystique around Nickal had evaporated. "The scary guy that they tried to build up to be this killer, it's not there anymore," he said.

Covington holds a 4-0 record under the RAF banner and captured the promotion's newly created crossover championship belt after defeating Arman Tsarukyan at RAF 11 in July. The 38-year-old returns to the mats September 19 in Miami when he faces former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad at RAF 13.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Colby Covington searching for new RAF rival because Bo Nickal keeps losing — ‘The mystique … it’s not there anymore’