Former UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley is taking on surging contender Aiemann Zahabi in a three-round Bantamweight contest at tonight’s Freedom 250 card. After losing two consecutive fights to Merab Dvalishvili, O’Malley recently got back on track against Song Yadong at UFC 324 in January. Tonight’s UFC card is taking place on the South Lawn of the White House and starts at 8:00 p.m. ET on Paramount+.
Check out my best bet for Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi at today’s UFC Freedom 250 event.
Sean O’Malley to win by Decision (-105)
From 2015 to 2024, Sean O’Malley went 17-1 with a no contest, and his lone loss in that span came after suffering an injury. Since then, O’Malley has gone 1-2 in his previous three contests but has only lost to one opponent in nearly the last six years: Merab Dvalishvili. O’Malley excels in fights where he faces a primarily striker, like himself. As we saw in his previous bout against Song Yadong, when O’Malley controls the distance while being aggressive, he is extremely hard to go toe-to-toe with.
Aiemann Zahabi is the younger brother of Firas, who is the Head Coach and Owner of Tristar Gym. Firas Zahabi is a legendary coach and, most notably, played a vital role in the success of former UFC two-division champion Georges St-Pierre. Now, Firas is on the precipice of helping his brother become a UFC title challenger, but in order to do so, Aiemann must get past a former UFC Champion in O’Malley. Zahabi, 38, is currently on a seven-fight winning streak and last beat Marlon Vera in October 2025.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, O’Malley is a -440 favorite with Zahabi being the underdog at +340. This fight is -160 to go the distance and +120 to last the full scheduled 15 minutes. The over/under is 2.5 rounds, with the over being -195.
Zahabi is skilled on the feet, but O’Malley is the better striker in this matchup. O’Malley lands 1.51 more significant strikes per minute while being 13 percent more accurate. Also, O’Malley is taller (5’11” vs. 5’8″) with a reach advantage (72″ vs. 68″), which should allow him to dictate the pace of this fight. Even though O’Malley has 12 career knockouts, he hasn’t scored one since August 2023. Until O’Malley displays his knockout power again, it will be hard to back him in that area. With three of his last four wins coming on the judges’ scorecards, I’m taking O’Malley to win this contest by decision at -105.
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