Sean O'Malley has voiced his strong disapproval of the mandated fight kits for the UFC's White House fight card, scheduled for 14 June. The former bantamweight champion, known for his flamboyant style, did not hold back in his criticism during his podcast.
O'Malley's Reaction to the Fight Kits
“I don’t even know if I’m supposed to say [this],” O'Malley began. “They’re ugly, mine were ugly. I don’t like them.” The 31-year-old fighter, who will face Aiemann Zahabi on the South Lawn, elaborated on his disappointment. “They’re not pink, which is fine – whatever, I’ve worn other colours. I’m not going to not show up because my shorts aren’t pink. I’ll make my f***ing hair pink or whatever.”
O'Malley questioned the design process, suggesting the kits looked like they were sourced from a low-cost freelance platform. “I’m just like: did they go on Fiverr and say, ‘Hey, we got these guys getting into a fight on the White House lawn, can you just come up with something?’” He noted the shorts were white, which he found acceptable, but overall, he was unimpressed.
Despite his critique, O'Malley found a silver lining. “I will say, I like the white because I do truly believe I’m going to crack Aiemann... I’m excited for my white shorts to be red. I’m going to see how red I can get my white shorts from his blood.”
O'Malley's Confidence Against Zahabi
O'Malley expressed confidence in his upcoming bout with Zahabi. “I’m going to bloody his nose. I think I’m going to hit him a lot. I think he’s going to be very tough, very durable, [but] I think I’m going to beat the f*** out of him – kind of like Kris Moutinho-esque.” This reference harkens back to his 2021 fight where he dominated Moutinho before stopping him in the final 30 seconds.
O'Malley, who won the bantamweight title in 2023 by knocking out Aljamain Sterling, had one successful defence against Marlon Vera in 2024 before losing the belt to Merab Dvalishvili. He bounced back in January with a narrow points win over Song Yadong. Currently ranked second at 135lb, a victory over Zahabi could set up a title shot against current champion Petr Yan, whom O'Malley controversially outpointed in 2022.
The White House Event: UFC Freedom 250
The unprecedented event, named “UFC Freedom 250,” celebrates 250 years of the United States and is headlined by Ilia Topuria’s title defence against interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje. The co-main event features Alex Pereira against Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title. Other bouts include Derrick Lewis vs Josh Hokit, Mauricio Ruffy vs Michael Chandler, Bo Nickal vs Kyle Daukaus, and Diego Lopes vs Steve Garcia.
Notably, the Lewis-Hokit fight was added at President Donald Trump’s request after Hokit’s impressive win over Curtis Blaydes in April. Trump, who turns 80 on the event date, has a longstanding friendship with UFC chief Dana White.
