Sean O’Malley makes bold UFC rankings statement ahead of White House event

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Sean O’Malley makes bold UFC rankings statement ahead of White House event

Originally posted on HITC | By Harvey Leonard | Last updated Mar 19, 2026 10:35 AM ET

When Sean O’Malley steps back into the Octagon on June 14, only one outcome will be good enough for him.

The former bantamweight champion, now a familiar face in the sport, is among several big names set to compete on the White House lawn this summer.

Before Alex Pereira makes his move up to heavyweight and Ilia Topuria faces Justin Gaethje to unify the lightweight titles, O’Malley will be looking for his second win of 2026 when he takes on Aiemann Zahabi.

He wants to get his hand raised at the major event but a win is not the only thing he’s focused on. He also wants a fight against bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili – something he has talked about before.

Why Sean O’Malley will settle for nothing less than a finish at UFC White House

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O’Malley’s win over Song Yadong at UFC 324 was his first victory in nearly two years, following back-to-back losses to Merab Dvalishvili. But there’s still another drought ongoing for the Montana native.

‘Suga’ has not recorded a knockout since his title-winning TKO against Aljamain Sterling in August 2023.

With that in mind, O’Malley says nothing but a finish will count as a triumph for him in Washington D.C. this June.

“I got to have a f—-ng beautiful KO,” O’Malley said on his YouTube channel.

“It’s just like there is no other option. Winning a decision is a loss. If I win a decision, take me out of the rankings. I need a f——ing finish here,” he added.

The former champion believes two straight wins would set up another chance against new titleholder Petr Yan, whom he defeated back in 2022 to earn his first shot at gold.

Zahabi, on the other hand, is chasing his first opportunity after picking up an impressive seventh straight win by beating Marlon Vera at UFC Vancouver.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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