Sean O’Malley rips UFC White House fight kit: “Ugly”
Sean O’Malley spoke out about the fight kits for the upcoming UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House South Lawn. The former bantamweight champion called his assigned shorts ugly during a recent podcast with MMA Guru.
UFC Freedom 250 takes place June 14, 2026, on the White House South Lawn. President Trump hosts the card to mark his 80th birthday and the U.S.’s 250th anniversary of independence. Dana White announced the fights last year, with weigh-ins at the Lincoln Memorial and fan events on the National Mall. A 5,000-seat arena goes up outside the White House front, plus screens for 85,000 free tickets on the Ellipse.
Sean O’Malley slams White House fight kit ahead of UFC Freedom 250
The lineup features six main card bouts. Ilia Topuria defends his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje in the main event. Alex Pereira faces Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight belt. Sean O’Malley meets No. 6-ranked bantamweight Aiemann Zahabi in a USA-Canada matchup. Other fights include Michael Chandler vs. Mauricio Ruffy and Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia. Bo Nickal takes on Kyle Daukaus. Fireworks and light shows follow the action.
O’Malley got white shorts for his bout with Zahabi. He said on the podcast, “They’re ugly. Mine were ugly. I don’t like them.” The ex-champ noted they lack pink, his signature color, but he has worn other shades before. He plans to dye his hair pink instead and show up regardless. O’Malley joked the UFC hired a Fiverr designer with a quick prompt about fighters on the White House lawn. He added the white base works for him, Dana White wears white too, but the overall look misses the mark.
Fans link O’Malley to bright, pink gear that matches his persona. He has pushed colorful shorts in past UFC appearances. The White House kits shift to a uniform theme for the historic card. UFC revealed the special edition Freedom Kits recently on Instagram.
The event costs around $60 million with no profit expected. Trump hosted fighters in the Oval Office last week and shared renderings of the lit-up Octagon setup. O’Malley eyes turning his white shorts red with Zahabi’s blood. Fight week brings media to D.C. for the first pro combat sports on White House grounds.
