EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – Aiemann Zahabi wants to take a step-up in his fighting career, and he feels he’s earned the right to call for it.
Zahabi (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is coming off a dominant win over former title contender Pedro Munhoz at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 246, – a result that put him on a five-fight winning streak. With the win over Munhoz (20-10 MMA, 10-10 UFC), Zahabi hopes to get a spot on the UFC official bantamweight rankings, and if not, he’d still like to get a ranked name for his next outing.
“It would be nice that on Tuesday I wake up, and I’m in the top 15,” Zahabi told reporters at the UFC Fight Night 246 post-fight press conference. “If not, a big name that’s in the top 15 would be great, too. I have to talk to Firas and Sean Shelby and see what’s a good timeline for us to come back. Maybe they come back to Canada early in the year. If they do, I’ll be there. It’s never been easy for me to book a fight, but I got two in this year and hopefully two or three next year.”
Zahabi’s decision win over Munhoz is arguably his best career win, given the name value of the Brazilian. He believes that not only did he show the world that he’s a top talent at 135 pounds, but more importantly, he showed that to himself
“I’m so happy,” Zahabi said when asked about his performance. “Now I feel like I’ve earned my place, and now I don’t have to be afraid to get in there. I should do it with courage and bravery, and I feel like I showed that tonight. I stood in there for 15 (minutes).”
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