"You know for me, I don't have hate in my heart for any of my opponents. For me it's just business. I consider myself more like a hitman. I don't need to hate you to want to kill you. I go out there, and I'm going to do my job. I know what my mission is, it's to go out there and fight and leave everything behind."
"I felt like he wanted to intimidate me with hate, like he's a tough gangster guy. But you can't intimidate me man. I fight in a cage for a living. I fight in the octagon for a living. There's no intimidation here. I'm here to fight you."
"I got ready for two and a half months to come in here and fight you. There's no intimidating me," he added. "So I wanted to let him know that I ain't no pushover. I'm from Montreal, we've seen violence before."
Aiemann Zahabi and Chito Vera confronted each other between rounds at UFC Vancouver in a tense stare-down. Zahabi described his approach as professional and businesslike, saying he does not harbor hate for opponents and views himself as a hitman focused on the job. He rejected attempts at intimidation and said his preparation left him unphased. Zahabi emphasized his Montreal background and willingness to stand toe-to-toe. Entering his late 30s, Zahabi is mounting an unexpected push toward title contention and rejects narratives focused on his age. Zahabi stated he is actively working and not a prospect.
Read at Cageside Press
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]