A Montana native will once again be part of a historic moment for the UFC.
Helena’s Sean O’Malley is scheduled to fight on the UFC’s upcoming White House card, the promotion announced Saturday night. The event — titled UFC Freedom 250 — is set for June 14 on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.
The card is part of celebrations surrounding the 250th anniversary of the United States and will mark the first time a professional sporting event has been staged at the White House.
O’Malley, a former UFC bantamweight champion and one of the sport’s biggest stars, is expected to face Canadian contender Aiemann Zahabi as part of the event’s lineup.
The appearance adds another historic venue to O’Malley’s resume.
In September 2024, the Helena native headlined UFC 306 at Sphere in Las Vegas, the first live sporting event held inside the state-of-the-art venue.
O’Malley was born in Helena and rose through Montana’s regional MMA scene before becoming one of the most recognizable fighters in the sport. Known for his striking ability and colorful personality, "Suga Sean" has become one of the UFC’s most marketable athletes. O'Malley's most recent fight was a win over Song Yadong in January at UFC 324.
The White House card is expected to be one of the biggest events in UFC history.
The main event will feature Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje in a lightweight title unification bout, while several other high-profile fights are also expected on the card.
