Former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley expressed his strong desire to compete at the UFC event at the White House immediately after its announcement in July 2025. Despite “Suga” not expecting to be on the card just three weeks ago, his name was officially announced among the participants.
The official confirmation of O’Malley’s participation in the UFC White House fight night came on Saturday during the UFC 326 broadcast. On his YouTube channel, O’Malley confirmed: “You heard it. You saw it. It’s true. I’m fighting Aiemann Zahabi.” He explained how it happened: “Honestly, I told the UFC I’d really love to fight at the White House. I’m willing to fight anyone. I’d fight Ilia [Topuria], Islam [Makhachev], Khabib [Nurmagomedov]. But seriously, I said I want to be on this card. Please give me the opportunity. I don’t care who my opponent is.”
O’Malley emphasized the unique nature of the upcoming event: “I already fought at the Sphere, which was really cool. But the White House… it seems there will be six fights on the UFC White House card. That’s me and 11 other people who will walk from the Oval Office to the White House lawn. That’s what they’re saying. Honestly, it’s even hard to wrap your head around. It feels unreal.”
He also noted the potential attention: “It’s going to be interesting. I don’t know how people feel about this event, who will be watching, there’s a lot of politics around it. For me, this is an opportunity for millions of people who might never have watched fights to see me, because they’re watching the White House card. I just begged to be included on that list.”
Despite the late confirmation, UFC matchmakers granted O’Malley’s request. He now transitions into preparation mode for the historic fight.
“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 said, adding an intriguing detail: “We’re fighting on Trump’s birthday.”
O’Malley described the upcoming bout as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” He promised an unforgettable spectacle: “Aiemann is a great opponent. He has seven consecutive wins. This guy is a kickboxer. He’s a fighter… He always comes forward. He’s tough as hell, hard to stop. Seven-fight win streak. He won’t try to wrestle. We’ll give the fans a fight to remember. This will be a good one.”