For a card celebrating America’s 250th anniversary and the birthday of U.S. president Donald Trump, the UFC White House card doesn’t have a strong contingent of vocal MAGA fighters. At the top of the list of candidates that could fix that is Colby Covington, who was the first UFC fighters to ever screw a Make America Great Again hat on his head and never take it off.
Yet Colby is missing from the White House card, and we don’t know why. Not even Covington himself really seems to understand why. His latest heated rival Bo Nickal claims Covington ducked him, leaving him to face Kyle Daukaus instead on June 14th. But in a recent interview with MMA Junkie, “Chaos” says the matchmakers just had different (and lamer) plans for him.
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“Not true, Hunter and UFC never entertained or offered that fight.” Covington said of Nickal. “He’s a quitter. Why would UFC give me a quitter to fight? I would’ve loved to take that fight at the White House. It’s an easy fight. He can’t strike, he can’t wrestle and hold me down. It would be an easy fight.”
“I asked for multiple names. I left it in their court many times and said, ‘Hunter, I’ll fight any man alive … They didn’t have anybody. The only person they’ve offered me is the winner of Malott vs. Burns.”
Mike Malott vs. Gilbert Burns goes down on April 18th from Winnipeg, Canada. Even if they turn the winner around quick, that likely leaves Covington on the shelf until August.
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“I accepted,” Covington said. “I said, ‘OK, I’ll wait until the end of the year to fight if that’s what you guys want and is in your plans. It’s your company, UFC. It’s your company, Hunter Campbell. Whatever you want. I listen to you. I’m the company man. You’re the face that runs the place, Hunter. You make these decisions. If you don’t think I’m worthy of the White House card, then so be it. That’s your call.’ I’ve accepted everything that they’ve given to me.”
Covington admitted he was ‘bummed’ with UFC brass’ decision.
“I thought that I was a shoo-in for that spot,” he said. “I’m the one that brought Trump into UFC back in 2018 when no one was supporting him … I thought I was going to get that call to represent the U.S. and get on that White House card. Unfortunately it wasn’t in their cards. Hunter didn’t give me the opportunity, the UFC didn’t give me the opportunity.”
In the meantime, Covington will take his skills to Real American Freestyle where he’s set to face Dillon Danis in a wrestling match at RAF07 in Tampa, Florida on March 28th. Based on UFC’s plans for him, you may only see Colby at RAF or in the casinos until the end of the year.
