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After a quick talk with UFC staff, Sean O’Malley drops a cryptic White House tease
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- After a quick talk with UFC staff, Sean O’Malley drops a cryptic White House tease
Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC
Sean O'Malley is one of several high-profile names included on the card for UFC's special event in Washington, D.C., on June 14.
The White House will host the UFC to mark the 250th anniversary of American Independence, with a summer event on its lawn.
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O'Malley's inclusion was confirmed in March, and he'll face Aiemann Zahabi as part of an undercard that leads into a pair of title fights headlining the bill.
Details about the show are still being released, but O'Malley has hinted that there are more surprises to come as the date approaches.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
O'Malley says there's more buzz around UFC White House than before the Sphere event
'UFC Freedom 250' isn't just about what happens at the White House – fight week will see a number of fan events hosted across Washington D.C.
The weeklong build-up finishes with a Saturday card that Dana White has described as "spectacular," and it sounds like O'Malley is hearing the same from people inside the organisation.
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"The White House card, I was in Vegas this weekend, talked to a lot of UFC people, a lot of UFC staff" O'Malley said on his YouTube channel. "They were like, 'This is going to be insane.'
"They were kind of giving me a little rundown, nothing really that I could share, but just their excitement is what I was taking away. They were like, 'We walked it, it's crazy.'
"The Secret Service alone is going to be insane. I still don't know who's going to be allowed in. I don't know if family is going to be allowed. I have no idea," he added.
"A lot of moving pieces. If they can pull this off, then the opportunities are endless. Where do you go next? … The colosseum? If they can perfect an outdoor show, that could change things."
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The logistics alone will make it one of the most complex events the company has ever attempted.
Security will be unlike any other show before, given its location and potential high-profile guests. The outdoor venue brings its own unique hurdles as well.
The fight on June 14 may mark Sean O'Malley's return to action after two straight defeats. He lost his bantamweight title to Umar Nurmagomedov in December at UFC 309 and then fell short again against Merab Dvalishvili five months later.
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