Bo Nickal addresses fan backlash after turning down Yoel Romero wrestling match following weight miss

UFC middleweight contender Bo Nickal declined to face Real American Freestyle 5 opponent Yoel Romero following a botched weight cut.

Bo Nickal and Yoel Romero were supposed to square off in the co-main event of Real American Freestyle 5 last weekend in a 205-pound matchup. But at Saturday’s official weigh-in, Romero missed weight by seven pounds, leaving Nickal the option of whether or not he wanted to face Romero and go on with the match.

Nickal declined to grant Romero a catchweight bout, and the matchup was canceled and removed from the card. The card was headlined by a clash between former UFC titleholders Colby Covington and Luke Rockhold.

After it was announced that Nickal vs. Romero was off, fans aimed at Nickal on social media and criticized his decision not to move forward with the match.

Bo Nickal explains the reasoning behind the declined Yoel Romero RAF 5 showdown

In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Nickal addressed his refusal to compete at RAF 5 following Romero’s weight miss.

“It was tough,” Nickal said. “It was a tough situation. I got there in Florida, had all my family and friends down, and was looking forward to competing. Saturday morning at weigh-ins, I weighed in right at 9 a.m. I woke up around 203, ate and drank to get up to 205, waited around 45 minutes for Yoel to get there, and he waited a while. So once he didn’t step on the scale right away, I kind of knew he was over. I expected two, three, four pounds, and no worries. We’ll get it going. But he stepped on at 212.

“People want to see me compete, which, I do too, but they don’t understand what it’s like to be in that position. This is not fun and games. This is not a charity match. This is a professional sporting event. I came in professional, and unfortunately, he didn’t. It is what it is. I was ready to wrestle. If he made the weight, we’re going, obviously. So that’s not on me.” (h/t MMA Fighting)

Nickal is expected to return to the UFC Octagon later this year. He hasn’t fought since a head-kick knockout win over Rodolfo Vieira at UFC 322.