Sean O'Malley is set for a high-profile bantamweight clash with Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14, taking place at the White House in Washington, D.C.
O'Malley enters the matchup with a 19-3 MMA record (11-3 UFC), while Zahabi brings a 14-2 mark (8-2 UFC) and a seven-fight UFC winning streak into what both sides are treating as a major opportunity.
O'Malley believes Zahabi’s path to victory is clear. “I appreciate the, 'Hey, look over here.' He knows his way to victory is going to be to try to grapple me,” O'Malley said, later adding, “I'm not stupid. He's not stupid. He's saying these things to get us to be like, 'Oh, he's not going to wrestle.' But come on, man. I'm not stupid. I may look stupid, but yeah.”
Respectful of Zahabi’s run but confident in his own edge, O'Malley said, “He's on a seven-fight winning streak. At what point do you give him a big fight? This is the point,” and continued, “This is the biggest fight of his life. In a sense it's the biggest fight of my life, too... I know there's a levels to this game and I believe I'm on a different level. I'm a level above Aiemann, and I get to go out there and prove it.”
Zahabi will have Georges St-Pierre in his corner, something O'Malley welcomes. “GSP's a legend,” O'Malley said, calling it “cool to be in his presence” at UFC Freedom 250.
