Aiemann Zahabi did not expect to play the hero at all a few days before his fight at UFC Fight Night this Saturday in Las Vegas.
The Quebecer came to the aid of an elderly man when he arrived at the airport on Wednesday, he said in an interview with TVA Sports.
“When I arrived at the Las Vegas airport, I heard a loud noise as I was boarding the escalator. There was an 80 to 85 year old man who fell climbing stairs while I was going down the stairs. He hit his head. I went back up and lifted it with the help of an airplane pilot. He wasn't conscious. I thought he was dead for a second. Then he woke up and was spoken to. He had a big bump on his head.
“I told the story to my 5-year-old twins and one said to me: 'You fight, but you also help people, you are also a hero'.”
Inspired by “GSP”
Elsewhere, Zahabi (10-2-0) is eager to step into the octagon for his bantamweight divisional clash against Afghanistan's Javid Basharat, who has a perfect record of 14-0-0.
“I have faith in it. I'm looking forward to Saturday night. He's a good opponent, he's good in all three aspects of mixed martial arts (standing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu), but I think I'm better than in all three him. I hit harder too. Physical conditioning will make the difference. I have a better chance than him of finishing it.”
He went to great lengths to ensure he could last three rounds if necessary.
“I tried to copy Georges St-Pierre by investing in my training camp,” said the brother of Firas Zahabi, the former coach of “GSP”.
The full interview with Aiemann Zahabi can be found in the video above.