Canadian MMA fighter Aiemann Zahabi said on Thursday he is looking forward to spoiling President Donald Trump’s birthday when he fights at UFC Freedom 250.
The event will take place on the South Lawn of the White House in honor of the country’s sesquicentennial on June 14, Trump’s 80th birthday. Zahabi will face American Sean O’Malley, and both fighters have jokingly put their countries on the line.
Zahabi, who resides in Montreal, said Canadians take the rivalry with the United States seriously. “Everyone watches the Canadians play … when they play against the United States. It’s huge stakes, especially with all this tension going on between us politically,” he stated.
“I like to think that sports unite us in a way, but it’s nice to have that rivalry, right? It’s like having a brother that pushes you to your next level,” he added. “It’s nice to have someone to sharpen your blade against. I think it’s going to be great if I spoil the party.”
Zahabi said if he defeats O’Malley, he will become the people’s champion of Canada. “It’s cool to have the politics involved in the sense that more people are going to be watching,” he remarked. “Some people who maybe never watched MMA before, they’re going to be intrigued in this matchup because of the stakes.”
While many people are picking O’Malley to win the fight, Zahabi said he thrives as the underdog. “I have the ninth largest upset in UFC history, and I’m looking to top that with this fight,” he stated. “You know, I’ve spoiled parlays before, and I’m willing to do it again. Every time I’m an underdog, it looks like I win.”
“So I feel like the odds are really in my favor,” Zahabi continued. He added that if Trump were running in Canada, he likely would have voted for him based on his economic track record: “I want Canada to be a country that people invest in. And if you’re somebody who works very hard, you can go from low-level to upper middle class to becoming rich.”
“ heated the issues I want to see in Canada, so that people can really make it here instead of hitting that ceiling,” Zahabi concluded.
