UFC bantamweight star Sean O’Malley quickly voiced his ambition to compete at the groundbreaking UFC White House event, announced for July 2025. Despite his early interest, ‘Suga’ revealed he was unsure of his inclusion on the card until merely three weeks ago.
The highly anticipated UFC White House fight card was officially unveiled on Saturday during the UFC 326 broadcast, confirming O’Malley’s participation. Addressing his fans on his YouTube channel, O’Malley declared, “You guys heard it. You guys saw it. It’s true. I’m fighting Aiemann Zahabi.”
He detailed his relentless pursuit of a spot on the historic card. “Here’s the God’s honest truth. I told the UFC, I would love to fight at the White House. I will fight anybody at the White House. I will fight Ilia [Topuria]. I will fight Islam [Makhachev]. I will fight Khabib [Nurmagomedov]. No, but for real, I said I want to fight on the White House card. Please let me fight on the White House card. I don’t care who it is. I want to be on there. I want the opportunity.”
O’Malley reflected on the unparalleled nature of the event, comparing it to his unique experience fighting at the Sphere. He elaborated on the proposed spectacle: “The White House, I think there’s six fights on the UFC White House card. There’s me plus 11 other people that get to make the walk from the Oval Office. That’s what they’re saying. You walk from the Oval Office into the White House lawn. It’s honestly hard to even wrap your head around. It doesn’t even feel like it’s reality.”
Acknowledging the potential political discourse surrounding the event, O’Malley highlighted his personal motivation: “For me, this is an opportunity for me to go out there and have millions of people that might have never watched a fight see me because they’re watching the White House card. I was just like, please let me be on this card.”
Despite the late confirmation, UFC matchmakers ultimately granted O’Malley his request, shifting his focus entirely to preparation. “I like it. I’m happy. I’m excited. 14 weeks, plenty of time. I’m pretty sure it’s on a Sunday, June 14,” he confirmed, adding an interesting detail, “We’re fighting on Trump’s birthday.”
Labeling the event a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” O’Malley expressed enthusiasm for his opponent, Aiemann Zahabi. “Aiemann’s a great matchup. He’s on a seven-fight win streak. Dude’s a kickboxer. He’s a dog… He brings the fight. He’s tough as f*ck. He’s hard to put away. Seven-fight win streak. He’s not going to come out there and shoot, try to wrestle. We’re going to give the fans a fight to remember. This one’s going to be a good one.”
