Bo Nickal and Colby Covington (Photo by Imagn Images)

Bo Nickal Fires Back at Colby Covington and Demands a Personal Grudge Match

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports | By Pavan Sharma | Last updated Jan 13, 2026 1:19 PM ET

The tension is rising between Bo Nickal and Colby Covington. Both fighters are now trading words online. Previously, Nickal called out Covington for a fight at the White House. ‘Chaos’ denied fighting him and called him a quitter. However, now the 29-year-old is taking this personally.

Nickal really wants to fight Covington next. He thought the former interim welterweight champion would reply to him professionally, but things went differently, and now it had become super spicy between the two UFC stars. Talking about his will to fight Covington, the middleweight star said:

“At the end of the day, I think that guy’s a bum. He’s an idiot. I would love to get in the cage with him, and for me, that fight would be personal. It’s not something for me that, up to this point, every single fight has been for sport. This one would be a little different, because I would love to cave that guy’s head in. I think he’s an idiot.”

Bo Nickal RALLY wants to fight Colby Covington next

https://t.co/7kipUsd0lV pic.twitter.com/vw0En1ZG8V
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) January 13, 2026

If this fight were to happen, it would undoubtedly generate significant attention as both are well-known, and this could potentially build one of the rivalries people will talk about in the future. As Covington is also aiming to move up in the division and Nickal is aiming to fight him, the UFC might book this fight.

Colby Covington Target Moving to Middleweight And Aims To Fight Former Champs

Colby Covington (Image Credits: Getty Images)

Recently, welterweight veteran Colby Covington shared his desire to move up to middleweight and even called out two former champions, Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland. In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Covington explained why middleweight interests him and why he believes he has an advantage there. In the interview, he said:

“I think someone like Israel Adesanya intrigues me… he’s someone I don’t really like. He’s talked a lot of sh*t about me in the past, let’s see if he can back it up… I would love the [Strickland] fight. He’s a cardio kickboxer, I’d beat him everywhere.”

Colby Covington wants to move up to middleweight and fight Israel Adesanya or Sean Strickland

"I know I can do well at middleweight. They may be bigger, they may hit harder but they're a lot slower. I'm just as strong as them, I'm putting on a lot of size these days…

I… pic.twitter.com/eRSmhQHYuB
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) January 13, 2026

Fans have been eager to see Covington back in action. He recently picked up a win in a wrestling match at the RAF 5, but many are still waiting for his return to the UFC. The 37-year-old mentions his move to middleweight multiple times. Now, fans might see his next fight at middleweight.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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