Aiemann Zahabi reveals why he accepted Jose Aldo fight at featherweight for UFC 315

In the ever-unpredictable world of mixed martial arts, flexibility can mean the difference between a career-defining moment and a missed opportunity. For Aiemann Zahabi, UFC 315 in Montreal brought that moment. Originally scheduled to face former featherweight king Jose Aldo in a bantamweight bout, Zahabi was thrown a curveball when Aldo failed to make the 135-pound limit.With the fight in jeopardy, Zahabi had to make a decision—walk away or accept the bout at featherweight. Thanks to the advice of two key figures in his life, Zahabi chose to seize the moment.When Jose Aldo showed up on weigh-in day unable to cut down to bantamweight, the UFC made it clear the fight could not proceed under the original terms. Zahabi, who was less than a pound away from making weight himself, received a call that changed everything.“I just got into the blankets this morning, and I was at 136.8lbs,” Zahabi told Sportsnet. “I was receiving the text and the calls to stop cutting: ‘Jose can’t make weight. He’s 145. There’s no way he’s gonna make the weight…’”Because of Montreal’s commission rules preventing more than a five-pound weight difference between fighters, a bantamweight matchup was no longer an option. That also meant Aldo wouldn’t be fined the usual percentage of his purse.“You could say no but fight’s off,” Zahabi explained. “Because they have the rule of the five pound difference, fight’s off, basically.”That’s when Zahabi leaned on the guidance of his brother, renowned MMA coach Firas Zahabi, and teammate Xavier Alaoui—two people whose influence steered him toward going ahead with the fight.“So my brother told me, what would X do?” Zahabi said. “Xavier Alaoui, what would he do? He said, ‘He’ll renegotiate. He’d take the fight…’”Nicknamed “The Breadman,” Alaoui’s mentality of fighting “anytime, anywhere” resonated. “Xavier Alaoui, big shoutout. He’s my spirit guy, my spirit animal,” Zahabi added.“So, we negotiated with Sean Shelby, and he gave me an offer, I accepted, and the fight’s on.”Also Read: Tom Aspinall reveals why the long wait for Jon Jones fight is a blessing in disguiseWith his five-fight win streak on the line, Aiemann Zahabi now enters UFC 315 at featherweight, not bantamweight. Backed by the wisdom of his brother and the fearless mindset of a trusted teammate, Zahabi chose courage over caution—earning both respect and the biggest opportunity of his career.