Aiemann Zahabi

O'Malley patiently picked Zahabi apart through a first round in which the Canadian circled and threw leg kicks. Late in Round 2 he dropped Zahabi with a straight left, then floored him again with a right as he rose, prompting referee Jason Herzog's stoppage.

Key moments

• Round 1: Zahabi circled away behind leg kicks while O'Malley used range and counters.
• Late in Round 2 a thudding straight left dropped Zahabi.
• Seconds later O'Malley cracked him with a clean right to drop him again, forcing the stoppage at 4:02.

Zahabi edged former title challenger Marlon 'Chito' Vera by split decision (two judges 29-28, one for Vera) in a closely contested bantamweight bout in Vancouver. Vera publicly claimed he was robbed.

Key moments

• Vera pressured early with leg kicks and a combination that briefly stunned Zahabi in round one
• Zahabi opened a cut over Vera's eyebrow with hooks and backed him to the cage in round two
• Round three was a back-and-forth firefight with both men trading to the final bell
• Scored 29-28, 29-28 Zahabi and 29-28 Vera for a split-decision win

In a featherweight catch-up fight at UFC 315 in Montreal, Zahabi survived a third-round knockdown to take a unanimous decision (29-28 x3) over the legendary José Aldo in a bloody back-and-forth. Aldo dropped him with a right hand and knee but punched himself out, and Zahabi rallied with close-range combinations and ground-and-pound elbows. The verdict drew controversy and Aldo announced his retirement afterward.

Key moments

• Fought at featherweight, above Zahabi's usual bantamweight class
• Aldo floored Zahabi with a right hand and knee early in round three
• Unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28); Aldo retired after the loss

Zahabi outpointed veteran Pedro Munhoz by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) on the Edmonton prelims, behind an economical jab and airtight takedown defense. He out-landed Munhoz 95-82 in significant strikes and stuffed all six of Munhoz's takedown attempts. It was his fifth straight win and a push toward the rankings.

Key moments

• Controlled distance with the jab and front kicks to the body
• Stuffed all six of Munhoz's takedown attempts
• Out-landed Munhoz 95-82 in significant strikes
• Won 29-28, 29-28, 30-27 on the cards

He stayed composed against Basharat's in-fight taunting and adjusted to his range over three rounds. The win was a major upset on the prelims.

Key moments

• Entered as a roughly 9-to-1 betting underdog
• Stayed composed despite Basharat taunting him mid-fight
• Swept the cards 29-28, 29-28, 29-28

In a homecoming bout in Vancouver after an 11-month layoff, Zahabi flattened Aoriqileng with a looping left hook just over a minute into round one. He began a walk-off celebration, and referee John Cooper waved it off at 1:04 after a touch more follow-up.

Key moments

• First fight back after an 11-month layoff, in his home country
• Landed a looping left hook flush on the chin
• Started a walk-off celebration before the stoppage
• Officially waved off at 1:04 of round one

Zahabi outpointed The Ultimate Fighter 29 bantamweight winner Ricky Turcios by unanimous decision across three rounds at the UFC Apex. He controlled range with leg kicks and body kicks throughout, landing consistently enough to take all three rounds on the judges' cards.

Key moments

• Opponent Turcios had won The Ultimate Fighter 29 bantamweight tournament in August 2021.
• Zahabi controlled range with consistent leg kicks and body work across all three rounds.
• All three judges scored it 29-28 for Zahabi — a clean sweep on the cards.

Zahabi returned to the win column for the first time in nearly four years by finishing Drako Rodriguez with a vicious right hand at 3:05 of the first round. Rodriguez had weighed in 4.5 lbs over the bantamweight limit, making this a catchweight bout, and a portion of his purse was awarded to Zahabi. The knockout earned Zahabi a Performance of the Night bonus.

Key moments

• Rodriguez missed weight by 4.5 lbs; fight proceeded at catchweight with Rodriguez fined 30% of his purse.
• Zahabi landed a clean right hand bomb that dropped and finished Rodriguez at 3:05 of round one.
• Earned Performance of the Night bonus for the stoppage.
• First win since his UFC debut in February 2017 — a gap of nearly four years.

Zahabi dropped a tight unanimous decision to Vince Morales on the preliminary card at UFC Ottawa, with all three judges scoring it 29-28 for Morales. It was a competitive three-round bantamweight fight in front of a Canadian crowd, but Morales did enough with his output and pressure to take the nod. The loss would stand as Zahabi's last defeat for over six years.

Key moments

• Took place at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario — Zahabi's home country.
• All three judges scored it 29-28 for Morales in a closely contested decision.
• This would prove to be Zahabi's last loss until Sean O'Malley stopped him in June 2026.

Ramos missed on an initial attempt then landed the follow-up flush, sending Zahabi limp to the canvas. The finish earned Ramos a Performance of the Night bonus and was ranked among the best knockouts of 2017.

Key moments

• UFC 217 at Madison Square Garden — the first UFC event held at MSG in over two decades.
• Ramos missed a first spinning elbow, immediately reset, and landed the second flush at 1:58 of round three.
• The KO earned Ramos Performance of the Night and was ranked one of the top knockouts of 2017.

Zahabi made a successful UFC debut in Halifax, Nova Scotia, outpointing Reginaldo Vieira by unanimous decision over three rounds. Vieira — a winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil season 4 — provided a credible test, but Zahabi's jab-led game plan earned him the nod from all three judges. It was his first fight at the promotional level after going 6-0 with all first-round finishes on the Canadian regional circuit.

Key moments

• UFC debut at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in front of a Canadian crowd.
• Opponent Vieira was a former TUF: Brazil season 4 winner making his second UFC appearance.
• Zahabi's jab and counter-striking game controlled the distance over all three rounds.