On a UFC White House card full of big names and popular stars, Kyle Daukaus sticks out like a sore thumb. Daukaus is set to fight Bo Nickal on the seven-fight card, and it’s hard for fans not to question whether he’s there as a soft opponent for the All American Nickal.
Even Daukaus suspects that’s why he’s on the card. In an interview with Home of Fight, Daukaus discussed the booking, how the UFC pulled him from a signed fight with Vicente Luque to jam him onto the White House card, and how he probably
got a fight that was supposed to go to Colby Covington.
“I think Bo was looking for an easier fight and easier match-up,” Daukaus said. “I would too if I was in Bo’s shoes.”
“But, yeah, I think it was all noise,” he continued regarding the Colby Covington vs. Bo Nickal talk. “I will come out and say that I actually did message Colby, and I was like, ‘Yo, dude. What do you think about maybe walking me out to the fight?’ Just kinda get the fans liking it, maybe get kinda in Bo’s head. He agreed to it, but I was like, maybe I’ll just back off of this a little bit … and we kinda just got away from it.”
“Now he’s retired. He’s retired, so it is what it is,” Daukaus said. “He said he would. I did have some messages back and forth with them. But now that ship’s all sailed.”
Daukaus doesn’t mind being the underdog or the fact that many, including President Trump, hope he’ll lose to Bo Nickal.
“I mean, it is what it is,” Daukaus said. “He can have fans. I mean, I’m sure everybody that is rooting for him wants him to beat me, but I have all these people that want me to beat him. So just as equal, it doesn’t really matter it’s the president. I’ll just say sorry that I beat him, but that’s about it … I think a good finish would get [Trump] on my side.”
After getting cut by the UFC in 2022, Daukaus went on a four fight winning streak. Back with the UFC, he’s now 2-0 with the promotion with two first round stoppages. As for Bo Nickal, he bounced back from his first career MMA loss to Reinier de Ridder with a head kick KO of Rodolfo Viera. We’ll see if he’s fully back on track at UFC White House, or if Daukaus ends up playing the spoiler.
