UFC legend Georges St-Pierre reacted after Aiemann Zahabi was knocked out by Sean O’Malley at UFC Freedom 250.
Zahabi was knocked down in the second round of his bantamweight bout against O’Malley at the White House on Sunday, and the referee quickly came in and stopped the fight.
Although some fans and media felt like the stoppage was a bit quick, ultimately, O’Malley had his hand raised, and Zahabi saw his seven-fight win streak snapped.
Georges St-Pierre Reacts After Aiemann Zahabi Loses
Taking to his social media following the fight, GSP — Zahabi’s close friend and teammate at Tristar Gym in Montreal — reacted to seeing Zahabi lose on the White House lawn.
“Unfortunately, we came up short last night. At this level, things happen incredibly fast. When you zig when you should zag, the margin for error is very small. Iâm confident Aiemann will learn from this experience and come back stronger. Congratulations to Sean OâMalley and his team on a great performance. Thank you to everyone for the support,” GSP wrote on his X.
Zahabi himself also shared his classy reaction to the defeat.
“My heart is at peace. For what is meant for me will never miss me, and whatever misses me was never meant for me. This was the theme of this camp. Today I walk that talk,” Zahabi wrote on X.
What’s Next for Aiemann Zahabi After UFC Freedom 250?
There is no doubt this loss is a big setback for Zahabi. At age 38, this was the best time he would ever have to fight for the UFC bantamweight title, and after getting stopped by O’Malley at UFC Freedom 250, those title hopes are not on the best of terms, as there are several other bantamweight contenders ranked above him.
Still, despite the defeat, Zahabi is still one of the best bantamweights in the world, and he will remain ranked in the top 10 of the UFC’s 135 lbs weight class.
Taking a look at the rankings, there are still plenty of fresh, interesting matchups for the veteran.
For example, Zahabi could take on fellow vet Deiveson Figuiredo at some point in what would be an intriguing matchup between two of the division’s older fighters. He could also fight the loser of the upcoming UFC 329 bantamweight bout between Cory Sandhagen and Mario Bautista. Then there’s also David Martinez, who would be an interesting matchup, as would Payton Talbott.
Zahabi may have lost to O’Malley, but you can’t take away the seven fights in a row that he won before this. He is still one of the best bantamweights in the world, so don’t forget about him just because he lost to O’Malley, the former champ who is still at the top of his game.
We’ll see who the UFC matches Zahabi with for his next bout, but he’ll need to win that fight if he wants to remain in title contention at 135 lbs, which is one of the most stacked UFC weight classes. He’s still one of the best in the world.
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