Sean O’Malley is never one to shy away from speaking his mind, and this time his target is the UFC’s newly unveiled fight kits for the upcoming White House card.
Set to compete at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 in Washington, D.C., O’Malley will face Aiemann Zahabi in a high-profile bantamweight clash. But ahead of the historic event, the former champion has taken issue with the gear he’s expected to wear.
The promotion recently revealed special red, white, and blue themed kits designed for the event, complete with White House branding. While the concept leans heavily into the patriotic theme, “Suga” made it clear he’s not impressed with the execution.
“I don’t know if I’m even supposed to say this, but they’re ugly,” O’Malley said on his YouTube channel. “Mine were ugly. I don’t like them.”
Known for his colorful style and preference for standout looks, O’Malley also pointed out that the design doesn’t reflect his personality.
“They’re not pink, which is fine… I’ll make my f*cking hair pink, whatever,” he said. “But I’m just like… did they go on Fiverr and say, ‘Hey, you know, we got these guys getting into a fight on the White House lawn? Can you just come up with something?’”
Despite his criticism, O’Malley isn’t letting the wardrobe choice distract him from the fight itself. In fact, he believes the white shorts could add a different kind of visual impact once the action begins.
“I do truly believe I’m gonna crack Aiemann,” O’Malley said. “I think I’m gonna beat the f*ck out of him… I’m excited for my white shorts to be red. Like, I want to see how red I can get my white shorts from his blood.”
“Suga” enters the bout following a win over Song Yadong at UFC 324 in January, looking to build momentum after setbacks in his title pursuits.