Aiemann Zahabi reveals which two people inspired him to take UFC 315 fight with Jose Aldo up a weight class

The primary card options what was purported to be a bantamweight bout between Canadian contender Aiemann Zahabi and former two-time champion Jose Aldo, one of many best featherweights of all time.

Initially set for 135lbs, Aldo and Zahabi weighed in on the weight class above (featherweight) on Friday morning as Aldo couldn’t make the bantamweight restrict.

This wasn’t supreme for Zahabi, who was lower than a pound away from the contracted weight.

The 37-year-old has nonetheless agreed to take the struggle at featherweight, citing two folks specifically for his choice.

Aiemann Zahabi says brother and teammate impressed him to simply accept Jose Aldo struggle at featherweight

A struggle with Jose Aldo the largest of his profession, Zahabi had to choose: undergo with the matchup at a weight class greater or cancel it altogether.

On the fence about taking the matchup, Zahabi says he bought much-needed recommendation from his legendary brother Firas Zahabi, coach of all-time nice welterweight Georges St-Pierre and plenty of different fighters.

“You could say no but fight’s off,” Zahabi informed Sportsnet.

“Because they have the rule of the five pound difference, fight’s off, basically.”

“So my brother told me, what would X do?” Zahabi stated.

“Xavier Alaoui, what would he do? He said, ‘He’ll renegotiate. He’d take the fight…’

Nicknamed ‘The Breadman’, Alaoui (15-6) is a teammate of Zahabi’s out of Tristar gym, who apparently has that ‘anytime, anywhere’ mentality when it comes to MMA fighting.

“Xavier Alaoui, big shoutout. He’s my spirit guy, my spirit animal,” Zahabi continued.

“So, we negotiated with Sean Shelby, and he gave me an offer, I accepted, and the fight’s on.”

Aiemann Zahabi says bantamweight struggle purse lower was ‘off the table’

With the last-minute weight change, Zahabi confirms Aldo gained’t be fined a share of his struggle purse like those that miss weight.

Zahabi says he was informed to cease reducing weight just some hours earlier than the UFC 315 weigh-ins with the promotion asking for a featherweight struggle as an alternative of a catchweight.

“I just got into the blankets this morning, and I was at 136.8lbs,” Zahabi stated.

“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…’

“And the commission won’t allow in Montreal a five pound weight difference,” Zahabi added. “So, there’s no 20% [fine].

“We have to do a featherweight fight. Can’t do a bantamweight fight. Bantamweight fight option is off the table completely.”

Aiemann Zahabi’s at present driving a five-fight win streak within the bantamweight division, hoping to make it six in Jose Aldo’s authentic weight class at featherweight.