It is always a special time when the Octagon touches down in Canada. Every Canadian fighter wants to be on this card and put on a show for their country. This Saturday, the Octagon returns to Edmonton for the first time since 2019, with a card full of talent from The Great White North.
There is one fighter that may be flying under the radar, and his name is Aiemann Zahabi. Now you might think that name sounds familiar, and you may be thinking of Firas Zahabi, who is the head coach at Tristar Gym and who worked with Canadian legend Georges St-Pierre.
But Aiemann Zahabi is making a name for himself, entering his fight against veteran Pedro Munhoz on a four-fight win streak after suffering back-to-back losses following his debut back in 2017.
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Before making his debut, Zahabi was already on a successful run with a 6-0 record, with all those wins coming by finish. When he stepped into the Octagon for the first time it was against Reginaldo Vieira in February 2017, and he won by unanimous decision.
Nine months later, Zahabi suffered the first defeat of his career, getting knocked out by Ricardo Ramos at UFC 217. Following that fight, Zahabi took some time away from fighting and didn’t return to competition until May 2019, where he faced Vince Morales. It would be the second loss of his career.
The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt started 2021 off strong and got things back on track with a first-round knockout over Drako Rodriguez. Staying active has been something that Zahabi has struggled with throughout his UFC career. During 2021, he had the lone fight against Rodriguez and didn’t return to the Octagon until July 2022, when he defeated Ricky Turcios by unanimous decision.
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Last year at UFC 289 in Vancouver, Zahabi competed in Canada for the first time since 2019 against Aoriqileng and put on an exciting performance for the Canadian fans, finishing the fight with a knockout 64 seconds into the fight. That marked his third straight win, and Zahabi was hopeful that people would start noticing him following that victory. It would be his lone fight of 2023.
His fight against Munhoz marks his second of 2024 after taking out prospect Javid Basharat earlier this year in March. That marked Basharat’s first loss of his career, continuing to show that Zahabi is a threat in the bantamweight division.
Looking toward this weekend, Zahabi could be on the verge of entering the Top 15 by defeating Munhoz, who has been a part of the bantamweight division for 10 years. Munhoz enters the fight on a two-fight losing streak, so he’ll be hungry to put an end to Zahabi’s hype and get back in the win column.
The bantamweight division has always been one with exciting prospects and exciting matchups on the horizon. With new champion Merab Dvalishvili at the top, it opens things up for the future of the 135-pound division. By defeating Munhoz, the 36-year-old is hopeful that he’ll make a case to have a number next to his name and secure a ranked matchup next time.
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