Sean O’Malley has voiced his displeasure with the fight kits designed for the upcoming UFC Freedom 250 event, scheduled to take place on the White House South Lawn. The former bantamweight champion described his assigned shorts as “ugly” during a recent podcast appearance.
UFC Freedom 250 is slated for June 14, 2026, on the White House South Lawn. President Trump is hosting the event to commemorate his 80th birthday and the 250th anniversary of American independence. UFC President Dana White announced the details of the event last year, including weigh-ins at the Lincoln Memorial and fan events on the National Mall. A temporary 5,000-seat arena will be constructed outside the White House, with additional screens to accommodate 85,000 attendees for free on the Ellipse.
O’Malley Slams White House Fight Kit Ahead of UFC Freedom 250
The fight card features six main card bouts. The headline fight sees Ilia Topuria defending his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje. In another significant matchup, Alex Pereira will face Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight belt. Sean O’Malley is set to compete against the No. 6-ranked bantamweight, Aiemann Zahabi, in a USA-Canada showdown. The undercard includes fights such as Michael Chandler versus Mauricio Ruffy, Diego Lopes against Steve Garcia, and Bo Nickal versus Kyle Daukaus. The event will conclude with a fireworks and light show.
O’Malley’s fight kit for his bout with Zahabi consists of white shorts. He expressed his dissatisfaction on the podcast, stating, “They’re ugly. Mine were ugly. I don’t like them.” The former champion noted the absence of pink, his signature color, although he has sported other colors in the past. He plans to dye his hair pink instead and is determined to perform well regardless. O’Malley humorously suggested that the UFC might have used a freelance designer for the kits, given their appearance. While he acknowledged the white base could work, he felt the overall design was lacking.
Fans associate O’Malley with vibrant, pink attire that reflects his personality, and he has previously worn colorful shorts in UFC appearances. The White House kits adopt a uniform aesthetic for this historic event. The UFC recently unveiled the special edition “Freedom Kits” on Instagram.
The estimated cost of the event is around $60 million, with no expectation of profit. President Trump met with fighters in the Oval Office last week and shared visual concepts of the illuminated Octagon setup. O’Malley has stated his intention to “turn his white shorts red with Zahabi’s blood.” Fight week will draw media attention to Washington D.C. for the first professional combat sports event to be held on White House grounds.