Sean O’Malley and Aiemann Zahabi meet at UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday at the White House in Washington DC. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Last event’s results: 2-3
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UFC main cards, 2026: 55-33-1
Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi UFC Freedom 250 preview
O’Malley (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) enters on the heels of a unanimous decision win over Song Yadong at UFC 324 in January. The former bantamweight champ is 1-1 since dropping his title at UFC 306.
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Zahabi (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) is currently on a seven-fight winning streak. His last outing was a split decision win over Marlon Vera in October.
Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi UFC Freedom 250 expert pick, prediction
Serving as an important bout for the bantamweight division is a battle between former champion Sean O’Malley and the oncoming Aiemann Zahabi.
Although this may feel like a strange booking to some, Zahabi has quietly amassed a seven-fight winning streak and was the one who specifically called out for this matchup with O’Malley.
I’m a big fan of Zahabi and am curious what game plan he and his brother Firas have come up with ahead of this card, but I can’t help but see some solid edges for O’Malley (should his body hold up).
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O’Malley is much better than his detractors give him credit for, but my canary in the coal mine is long and lanky fighters like him who continue to cut down to the lower divisions as they get into their thirties, as that’s where more of the freak injuries happen (e.g. Corey Hill, Brandon Royval, O’Malley himself, etc.).
Nevertheless, I suspect that Zahabi can both make this close and win with strategic approaches that involve multi-level attacks and late-round rushes. But those hopes and my biases aside, I can’t help but side with the proven striking savvy and movement of O’Malley in this spot.
I wouldn’t mind being wrong, but the official pick is for O’Malley to find a late knockout in Round 3.
Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi UFC Freedom 250 odds
The oddsmakers and the public heavily favor the American fighter, listing O’Malley -480 and Zahabi +350 via FanDuel.
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Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi UFC Freedom 250 start time, how to watch
O’Malley and Zahabi are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 10:10 p.m. ET. The fight streams live on Paramount+.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Freedom 250: Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi prediction, pick, time
