UFC champ reacts to Donald Trump's Gaza plan, Sean O'Malley explains NSFW confession, Kayla Harrison on "torture" fight prep: MMA News Roundup

A UFC champion put Donald Trump on blast for the latter's "real estate" aspirations regarding the Gaza Strip. Elsewhere, Sean O'Malley opened up on recent admissions about lifestyle changes.

Here are your top combat sports updates from today.

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UFC champion slams Donald Trump for Gaza plan

U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his desire to 'control and own' the Gaza Strip in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.

He said:

"You know how I feel about the Gaza Strip. I think it's an incredible piece of important real estate. And I think it's something that we would be involved in. Having a peace force like the US there controlling and owning the Gaza Strip would be a good thing ... you call it the Freedom Zone."

Sharing a clip of the meeting on X, UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad issued a two-word statement:

"Pure evil."

Muhammad was born in Chicago but has Palestinian lineage. He has been seen carrying the Palestinian flag numerous times throughout his UFC career.

Trump was asked to weigh in on the fact that he promised Palestinian-American voters to end the ongoing Israel-Hamas war that has torn Palestine apart. According to a report by The Latin Times, Trump did not provide any specifics but said that the "war will stop at some point that won't be in the too distant future."

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Sean O'Malley explains "J'd the peen" comment

Sean O'Malley recently claimed that he has turned his lifestyle around ahead of his upcoming title rematch with Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 316. It includes giving up on recreational marijuana, video games, and acts of self-pleasure.

Speaking on the TimboSugarShow, O'Malley said:

"I decided in 2025, I’m done with social media. ... I haven’t j’d the peen once this year - not once in 2025. ... I haven’t gamed, either. ... I quit smoking weed, too. I just stopped randomly. I just didn’t like the way it made me feel. I’m not overeating. My sleep’s better."

O'Malley's words drew a hilarious reaction from former opponent Aljamain Sterling, who went ahead and made a skit on it as well. Ariel Helwani asked O'Malley to expand on the matter during the latter's appearance on his show. 'Sugar' clarified:

"I said haven't been doing the deed. ... I haven't once this whole year. Isn't that something?... I just don't do it to myself. I still make sweet love to my baby mama."

Watch Sean O'Malley's comments below (22:40):

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Kayla Harrison opens up on "torture" weight cut

When Kayla Harrison signed with the UFC, the main concern experts had was about her weight cut. She competed in the lightweight division over at the PFL, which was not an option in the new promotion.

She will be required to cut 20 more pounds to make the bantamweight championship limit when she faces Julianna Pena for the belt at UFC 316. Speaking with Ariel Helwani about the weight-cut process, Harrison said:

"Cutting weight is... It's torture. But everything I've wanted is on the other side of that torture. I feel like I become refined in the fire. It's a very lonely process. It's a much harder mental grind than I think I expected. ... It's definitely not healthy. Don't do this kids. I don't recommend."

Watch Kayla Harrison's comments below (15:35):

Harrison previously shared that she was "peeing blood" due to a harrowing weight cut ahead of her UFC 307 fight against Ketlen Vieira.