Every so often, combat sports produce a story that extends beyond competition. The Zahabi brothers from Montreal are one such example, with one competing inside the cage and the other helping shape careers from the corner.
Aiemann Zahabi has steadily climbed the UFC ranks in the Bantamweight division. He will enter his upcoming showdown against Sean O’Malley at UFC Freedom 250, live from the White House, with a professional record of 14-2 and a seven-fight winning streak.
Meanwhile, his older brother, Firas Zahabi, is the man behind producing some of the biggest martial arts stars. He is the head coach and owner of Tristar Gym in Montreal, Canada.
This is not like every other gym in the state. It’s the same gym where Georges St-Pierre built his legendary UFC career and became one of the sport’s all-time greats. Today, Aiemann serves as the gym’s leading active UFC representative, while Firas remains a constant presence in his corner.
While Firas is often on Aiemann’s side, UFC fans often wonder whether the two are related. The answer is YES. Aiemann Zahabi is Firas Zahabi’s younger brother. He was born seven years and ten months after Firas, and both grew up in the same Lebanese-Canadian family in Laval, Quebec.
Who is Firas Zahabi? Aiemann Zahabi’s Older Brother and Georges St-Pierre’s Coach
Firas Zahabi is widely regarded as one of the most respected coaches in mixed martial arts. He is the head coach & owner of the Tristar Gym in Montreal, Canada. The Gym is famous for producing some world-class mixed martial artists, including the two-division world champion and Mount Rushmore of UFC, Georges St-Pierre.
Interestingly, martial arts was not Firas’ original passion. Growing up in Quebec, he spent much of his time focused on football. Fighting entered the picture much later, when he was 18 years old.
Then how did it all switch? Well, one fine day Firas got fascinated watching Royce Gracie winning fights with Brazilian jiu-jitsu at UFC 2. Determined to learn more, Zahabi sought out training opportunities and eventually found Tristar Gym, where he began learning under Angelo Exarhakos, a Renzo Gracie purple belt.
Speaking to Sherdog, Firas said:
I saw Royce Gracie like everybody else, and I was shocked. I was in awe that this little guy can beat up these bigger, muscular guys. I was desperately looking for a gym, and there was no gym. By chance, I found a place that was hosting a tournament and I went to the tournament. I watched the tournament. I saw some guys who were doing really good and asked them where they trained. That’s how I found Angelo Exeherakos, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt.”
As his experience grew, Zahabi transitioned into coaching and eventually assumed a larger role at Tristar following Exarhakos’ departure. During that time, he also completed a philosophy degree at Concordia University in Montreal.
Zahabi’s public profile climbed after UFC 69 in April 2007, when Georges St-Pierre lost the welterweight title to Matt Serra in a massive upset. St-Pierre needed a reset and a new head coach. Both men were from Quebec and had ties to Tristar, and their meeting turned into one of MMA’s most consequential partnerships.
Under Zahabi’s guidance, St-Pierre won the welterweight title back, defended it nine times, and later won the middleweight title in 2017. Zahabi was in his corner for every one of those fights.
Who is Aiemann Zahabi? Firas Zahabi’s Younger Brother and UFC Bantamweight Division Star
Aiemann Zahabi is a mixed martial artist who competes in the bantamweight division in UFC. Although his brother was on the MMA path, his journey to professional fighting was not a straight line.
Aiemann tried multiple martial arts while growing up and earned a black belt in karate before fully committing himself to MMA in the second year of college. At one point, Georges St-Pierre personally graded him before the competition.
His UFC debut came in 2017 against Reginaldo Vieira at UFC Fight Night, and Zahabi won by unanimous decision, establishing his presence.
After coming out of a successful gym and elite guidance, Aiemann’s career took a hiatus at UFC on ESPN 25 in 2021. He got knocked out by Ricardo Ramos, then lost to Vince Morales, leaving him 0-2 in the octagon since his debut win.
What followed was one of the more convincing rebuilding runs in the bantamweight division. Zahabi won seven consecutive fights between February 2021 and October 2025.
Discussing that rise with, MMA Knockout, Zahabi explained that he focused on gradual improvement rather than seeking attention, believing each fight helped him develop into a better version of himself.
“Then, I climbed up throughout the UFC one fight at a time. I trained in the dark, basically. Like, I’m underground, under the radar, and I just kept getting better every fight… It’s nice to just make my name over the years and now to cap it off over a big-time veteran like Pedro Munhoz. I feel like I outclassed him. I really feel like I made my mark now.” (Timestamp: 0:38-1:10)
His current professional record stands at 14 wins and 2 losses. As of June 2026, he is scheduled to face No. 2-ranked Sean O’Malley at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14. This would be the most significant fight of his career to date.
How Firas Shaped Aiemann’s MMA Career at Tristar Gym
Aiemann Zahabi has trained exclusively at Tristar Gym, which his brother owns. That arrangement sounds straightforward, but the reality of it? Growing up around that environment had its advantages, but it also came with expectations. Nobody was going to hand Aiemann anything because of his last name. If anything, the standards were even higher.
Firas did not make it easier for Aiemann because of the family relationship. If anything, the opposite was true. Firas increased the intensity of Aiemann’s training specifically to pre-empt any accusation of favoritism.
Day after day, he trained in the same room as champions and contenders. Every sparring session, every preparation camp, and every corner call has had to function at the same level it did for GSP and Rory MacDonald.
Today, Firas continues to serve as Aiemann’s head coach and cornerman. According to Aiemann, their communication outside the gym is often minimal, not because of distance but because of how well they read each other. Having spent decades around one another, they understand each other better than most coach-fighter pairings ever could.
As Aiemann prepares for the biggest fight of his career, the brothers remain united in pursuit of the same goal – proving that their years of work at Tristar Gym can still produce another title contender.
