Athletes
Aiemann Zahabi Offering A Different Perspective
French-Canadian Bantamweight Explains Mental Approach To Facing Jose Aldo On Saturday Night
Aiemann Zahabi was in California when his phone buzzed with a text message from his brother Firas, informing him that he would be facing off with Brazilian legend Jose Aldo this weekend at UFC 315 in Montreal.
When he turned to his traveling companion, German kickboxer Enriko Kehl, and informed him of the news, the response he received instantly gave the Montreal native the peace of mind he needed to start getting dialed in to share the Octagon with the former featherweight champion and UFC Hall of Fame member on Saturday night.
“I was like, ‘Enriko, I got Jose Aldo!’” began Zahabi, detailing how he learned of the matchup and Kehl’s response to the news during Wednesday’s UFC 315 Media Day. “He was like, ‘Oh my God; that’s amazing! I’m so proud of you! You should do it. There is no losing — all you have to do is go out there and do your best, and win or lose, people are going to respect you because you fought a legend.’
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"He kind of took the pressure off,” said the surging bantamweight. “As soon as I got the text, he kind of reduced everything for me. I was like, ‘You’re right! Who’s to say I can’t win, and all I’ve gotta do is go out there and do my best; that’s easy.’ I’m so excited for this fight.”
As soon as it was announced that the UFC would be returning to Montreal this week for the first time in a decade, it was all but guaranteed that Zahabi would be a part of the fight card.
Currently the only Canadian male stationed in the UFC Fighter Rankings, the 37-year-old arrives for his first UFC appearance in his hometown riding a five-fight winning streak, having earned impressive unanimous decision wins over Javid Basharat and Pedro Munhoz in 2024, which vaulted him into the rankings.
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But with the bantamweight division being the most talent-rich weight class in the promotion and Aldo being Aldo, the thoughtful French-Canadian never really thought about the possibility of sharing the Octagon with him.
“It wasn’t at the top of my mind because I thought they would put him with other big names, for sure,” admitted Zahabi. “My name is starting to get momentum, but not near as big as his; he’s an eight-time world champion, defended his belt so many times.
“It’s a nice surprise. I feel like I’ve earned it with my win streak. UFC is very merit-based in a lot of ways, and since he came back, he hasn’t won all his fights, so he’s kind of slid back a little bit. I’m No. 13 — or I was No. 13 when they announced the fight — and he was No. 10 or 11, so we’re close to each other and it kind of made sense.”
Since the fight was announced and throughout its build, Zahabi has been candid about the way he’s looking at Saturday’s contest, acknowledging that he believes there are ways for him to be successful even without getting his hand raised in victory this weekend.
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It’s not a stance many athletes ever take, at least not publicly, but when asked about it on Wednesday, the final Canadian that will make the walk this weekend offered a little greater detail and insight into his mindset heading into his clash with Aldo.
“The thing about fighting is there are a lot of banana peels in there, and mistakes happen, awkward things happen,” began Zahabi, happy to address the question and hold firm on his approach. “Listen: I’m not taking away anything from anybody — one guy has to make a mistake, one guy has to capitalize — but that fight with Paddy Pimblett and (King) Green, I thought it was awkward because it was a mistake that led to — he falls into a submission and gets finished in Round 1! I did not expect in 10 fights that it would ever look like that, but it’s something that happens.
“So I don’t want to get too hung up if something so low probability occurs that it’s gonna crush me, and I can just get back on the horse and fight again as soon as possible. I’ve come to the point where I want to fight often, and I want to perform every time. I’ve come to the realization that UFC rewards performance, but not necessarily only winning. You see guys who lose get a chance to fight again, and when they win, everyone forgets about the loss.
“Everyone only really cares about your last fight, so I’ve been working with my mindset coach, and all we’ve been (focusing on) is if we give our best effort, (1) the fans are gonna love you, and (2) the UFC is gonna love you, so you’ve just got to go out there and do it,” he added. “You’ve got to live that life and be about the game, and you’ll earn their respect.”
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While the ascending Canadian bantamweight is eager to earn the respect of the promotion and its fans, he did get some helpful advice in regards to that word and his opponent this weekend from the UFC Hall of Famer that will be in his corner on Saturday night.
“He just told me not to over-respect him,” Zahabi explained when asked what advice he’s received from Georges St-Pierre, the former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion and longtime Tristar Gym staple. “He told me he made that mistake against Matt Hughes the first time around, and a lot of guys do it when they fight legends.
Aiemann Zahabi times a beautiful KO | UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs Lewis
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Aiemann Zahabi times a beautiful KO | UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs Lewis
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“So he told me just to not over-respect him; he’s just another guy, nothing special,” he added, before quickly adding, “not to disrespect his career — just he’s human” in true polite Canadian fashion.
For Zahabi, Saturday’s matchup is a massive moment in his career — a chance to share the Octagon with an MMA luminary, at home no less, with a victory likely to create chances to compete against someone stationed in the Top 10 next time out.
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It’s a tremendous opportunity, one that the bilingual fighter has downplayed a little, perhaps just to keep himself from getting too excited or overwhelmed by the magnitude of things. But, at the same time, there is some deep truth and validity to the way Zahabi has ultimately been framing this weekend’s clash with Aldo.
“I’ve reached a point now where I’ve realized it doesn’t really matter who the opponent is,” he began when asked about the legendary Brazilian accepting this fight and his previous two assignments against dangerous, but lesser-known, talents. “The opponent is just a mirror, exposing you for your faults, and that’s all you can use them for. I’m sure he wants to go out there and impress after his last few fights.”
And that’s all Zahabi wants to do as well.
That, and hand Aldo his first loss on Canadian soil.
“I love breaking records, so let’s take that one from him!” he said excitedly when informed the Brazilian is unbeaten when fighting in The Great White North. “Let’s give him his first L (in Canada)!”
UFC 315: Muhammad vs Della Maddalena took place live from Bell Centre in Montréal, Québec, Canada on May 10, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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