Overview
- RAF officials said Yoel Romero missed weight Saturday morning for the light heavyweight unification bout, stripping him of his interim title and awarding Bo Nickal the undisputed championship with Nickal removed from competition.
- Romero remains on the RAF 5 card against Stephen Buchanan, while the event continues to be headlined by Colby Covington vs. Luke Rockhold on FOX Nation at 8 p.m. ET.
- At the pre-fight press conference, Covington called Nickal a “bozo” and a “bum,” and Rockhold labeled him a “college bum,” repeatedly invoking Nickal’s 2025 loss to Reinier de Ridder.
- Nickal responded on X by calling out Covington for a fight at the UFC’s planned White House event, tagging Dana White and matchmaker Mick Maynard.
- American Top Team coach Mike Brown said Nickal was moved “a bit too fast” in UFC matchmaking due to bigger paychecks, a view Nickal publicly accepted after rebounding from the de Ridder TKO with a head-kick knockout of Rodolfo Vieira and a $50,000 bonus at UFC 322.