Bo Nickal appears to have publicly signaled his acceptance of a fight with Colby Covington, posting a message on X Friday evening that strongly implies the two fighters are headed for a collision at the UFC's historic White House card on June 14.
I have a lot of respect for Colby Covington as a competitor and someone who never backs down from a challenge," Nickal wrote, tagging Covington, the UFC, Dana White, and President Donald Trump. "The Real American way. See you soon."
The rivalry between the two erupted in January at the RAF 5 press conference, where Covington directed several personal jabs at Nickal, questioning his career trajectory and MMA acumen. After defeating Luke Rockhold at the event, Covington hinted at a move to middleweight — only to later reverse course and declare he preferred to remain at 170 pounds, citing a desire to face a non-American opponent on the patriotic card.
Nickal, a three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion currently competing at middleweight, had previously identified Covington as his top target for the event.
"A matchup with Colby makes a lot of sense, especially considering how the last RAF event unfolded," Nickal told MMA Fighting earlier this month. "This feels like the fight that needs to happen."
The UFC's White House event — set for the South Lawn on Flag Day, June 14, also President Trump's 80th birthday, is reported to already be finalized internally. Dana White confirmed last week that the card is complete, though no official bouts have been announced.
It remains to be seen whether Nickal vs. Covington has been formally booked or whether Friday's tweet represents Nickal's public acceptance of an offer currently in the works. Neither the UFC nor Covington's camp has issued a response as of publication.
