Sean O'Malley rips UFC for $425K White House bonus snub

Sean O'Malley did not hold back after being passed over for a performance bonus at UFC White House despite knocking out Aiemann Zahabi with a sharp combination and saluting the crowd as his opponent fell.

The bantamweight contender missed out on $425,000 — $100,000 in cash plus $325,000 in crypto — when the UFC awarded both performance bonuses to Justin Gaethje and Ciryl Gane instead, according to MMA Mania. Gaethje and Ilia Topuria also split Fight of the Night honours after their main event ended with Topuria's corner waving off the bout before the fifth round.

"Then we did a f*cking pointless press conference where I didn't get a bonus and it was f*cking ridiculous," O'Malley said on his YouTube channel, per the report. "Dude, Gaethje getting a double bonus? I thought for sure I was getting a bonus. I was so confident."

O'Malley's path to bantamweight title shot unclear

The victory over Zahabi leaves O'Malley in limbo. He believes the win earned him a title shot, but the UFC reportedly plans to run Petr Yan against champion Merab Dvalishvili later in 2026. That timeline could keep O'Malley shelved until 2027 waiting for a crack at Yan, or leave him facing an unwanted trilogy with Dvalishvili if the Georgian retains.

O'Malley appeared visibly frustrated during the winners-only press conference, an unusual format that kept fighters waiting on stage while others fielded questions. "These wins feel good but if I would have lost, those are just so much worse than wins," he said. "It's like, why even do this s*it."

The 31-year-old is expected to discuss his contract and next move with UFC brass in the coming weeks.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Sean O’Malley reacts to missing out on $425,000 UFC White House performance bonus: ‘F—ing ridiculous!’