Tag: firas zahabi

Firas Zahabi makes bold claim about Tom Aspinall’s status as heavyweight great

Firas Zahabi had very high praise for UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.

[autotag]Firas Zahabi[/autotag] had very high praise for UFC interim heavyweight champion [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag].

Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) is campaigning for a title-unification bout with heavyweight champ Jon Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC), but Tristar Gym head coach Zahabi doubts it happens.

After Jones finished Stipe Miocic to retain his heavyweight belt at UFC 309, he argued that a fight with light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira does more for his legacy than Aspinall.

“I don’t think Jon Jones is going to fight Aspinall,” Zahabi said on his YouTube channel. “There was a once upon a time I thought he would and he could win. But now I went over Aspinall’s fights, and I’m thinking this is the man who can beat Jon Jones.

“At heavyweight, this is going to be a dangerous fight. Jon is not crazy. Jon is going to go down to fight Pereira, but I don’t think the UFC gives him Periera – I don’t think so. He has to fight Aspinall or nothing. I don’t think the UFC wants Jon Jones to beat Alex Pereira – which I think he would. He would crush Pereira.”

Zahabi thinks Aspinall is a bad matchup for Jones and everyone else in the division. He went as far as calling Aspinall the greatest heavyweight to ever do it.

“I think he could be the man who beats Jon Jones and finishes Jon Jones,” Zahabi said of Aspinall. “I don’t think anybody can last more than two rounds with Aspinall – nobody in the world. Now, pound-for-pound? That would be a different story. But the fact that he’s the biggest, strongest guy in the world at heavyweight, I don’t know if anybody can beat him.

“A lot of people are saying Miocic is the greatest heavyweight of all time. No, he’s not. He was the greatest heavyweight of all time. Then Ngannou dethroned him and Ngannou proved to be the greatest heavyweight of all time. Now in my mind, unofficially of course, it’s Tom Aspinall, the greatest heavyweight of all time.”

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Firas Zahabi expects ‘lopsided’ UFC 307 main event: Alex Pereira ‘has seen everything Khalil Rountree brings’

Veteran MMA coach Firas Zahabi expects Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree to be “lopsided” at UFC 307.

While some experts are picking the upset, famed MMA coach [autotag]Firas Zahabi[/autotag] aligns with the oddsmakers ahead of the UFC 307 main event.

On Saturday, [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] defends his light heavyweight title against fellow striker [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag], and he enters the bout as high as a -500 favorite on some betting lines. Zahabi, head coach of Tristar and long-time mentor of Georges St-Pierre, sees this championship bout as an easy pick.

“Do I believe Khalil Rountree has a chance to win? Yeah, I do, but I don’t think he will win,” Zahabi said on his YouTube channel. “Why? Pereira has seen everything Khalil Rountree brings to the table.”

Although he’s picking Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC), Zahabi respects what Rountree (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) has done in his career and has a high appreciation for his fighting style.

“He’s a very classic style may Thai fighter, very classic,” Zahabi said regarding Rountree. “He’s a power-punching southpaw. Most of his fighting, 90 percent of his fighting is southpaw, more than that. He has an incredible, powerful left hand. He can get things done. He’s a powerful kicker. He’ got a wonderful muay Thai clinch with knees and elbows, but he’s mostly about the punching and kicking. …. He’s never attempted a single takedown in his career. I went through all his fights. I’ve never recalled a single takedown, not one. Maybe like a trip, but he’s not trying to get guys to the ground. He’s not trying to shoot on Pereira. He’s never won via submission.”

Zahabi thinks highly of Rountree’s striking, but even higher of what “Poatan” brings to the table.

“Pereira has that left hook, and that left hook is more unique, more special,” Zahabi said “Pereira is taller, longer range, more seasoned. That’s the way I see this. He’s just more seasoned. He’s beat bigger names. Pereira has been through more five-round fights, bigger fights, more legendary opponents, cleaner record. I predict that Pereira can win this fight handily. I’m giving him a 65/35 (percent chance). I usually don’t cover fights when I think they’re this lopsided.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

Coach Firas Zahabi fascinated, perplexed by Shavkat Rakhmonov’s UFC rise: ‘This guy is very mysterious’

The man behind Georges St-Pierre’s success knows UFC contender Shavkat Rakhmonov is “very special” but says “none of it makes any sense” after studying him.

[autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] has impressed many with his run in the octagon, but for Tristar head coach [autotag]Firas Zahabi[/autotag], it’s left him confused.

Zahabi, a world-class coach who most notably trained Georges St-Pierre, has been both amazed and perplexed by the rise of Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the UFC welterweight division. Earlier this month, the Kazakh fighter submitted former title challenger Stephen Thompson at UFC 296, becoming the first man to submit “Wonderboy” in his 25-fight career.

Zahabi has an eye for talent, yet he knows that Rakhmonov is gifted but can’t exactly say why.

“I was watching Shavkat, and I was trying to understand what makes this guy so great,” Zahabi said on his YouTube channel. “I still haven’t understood, but he’s great. I just don’t understand how he does it.

“Guys, I’ve watched countless fights, I’ve trained countless hours and trained so many phenomenal, talented fighters. This guy is very mysterious. What is it about him that overwhelms these fighters? ‘Wonderboy’ is a phenomenal striker, and he was even slipping and countering ‘Wonderboy.’ It was shocking to me.

“He out-wrestled ‘Wonderboy’ and choked him out in Round 2. Guys, ‘Wonderboy’ had never been submitted. … He’s never been (submitted), and Shakkat went in there and finished him. Shavkat is very special.”

Rakhmonov has picked up finishes in all of his fights, including six in the UFC. With varied submission wins and knockout victories, Zahabi is unsure where Rakhmonov’s weaknesses lie. As of today, Zahabi believes Rakhmonov has what it takes to become UFC champion.

“Shavkat is something I can’t understand,” Zahabi said. “I’m intrigued. I can’t wait to watch more of him. I can’t wait to see what weaknesses this man has.

“Can he beat Leon Edwards? I can’t say no to that. I cannot say no. I don’t know. I don’t know. I’m going to find out like the rest of you guys. To me, it’s insane what he’s done in the octagon. It doesn’t make any sense. None of it makes any sense.”

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Mark Madsen thrilled to have ‘genius’ Firas Zahabi in his corner for UFC 295

Mark Madsen will have a famed coach in his corner at UFC 295.

[autotag]Mark Madsen[/autotag] will have a famed coach in his corner at UFC 295.

Madsen (12-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) takes on Jared Gordon (19-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC) in Saturday’s prelims at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.

Madsen, who recently moved back to his home country of Denmark, spent over three weeks training with Tristar Gym head coach [autotag]Firas Zahabi[/autotag], who has coached the likes of former two-division UFC champion Georges St-Pierre, Rory MacDonald, and Olivier Aubin-Mercier.

“I also had the chance to work with Firas Zahabi,” Madsen told MMA Junkie Radio. “(It was a) huge honor and very interesting working with a coach of that level. It actually turned out to be better than I expected moving back home to Denmark.”

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Madsen is confident his preparation with Zahabi will allow him to rebound from his first professional loss, which came to Grant Dawson a year ago.

“(He has) a very unique mind when it comes to MMA,” Madsen said. “He showed me some stuff that played right into my game, my Greco-Roman (wrestling) background. He showed me some of the stuff that him and GSP used in his fights. In my opinion, he’s kind of a genius when it comes to developing a unique style for a fighter.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.