Exclusive: Aiemann Zahabi ready to face a 'different' José Aldo at UFC 315

With less than two months to go before UFC 315 in Montreal, Aiemann Zahabi is gearing up for his fight against former UFC featherweight champion José Aldo.

To prepare, the Canadian has been studying several of the Brazilian legend's fights, and he has noticed a shift in Aldo's approach in more recent bouts.

"I’ve watched a lot of them, but his style has changed," Zahabi told DAZN News. "I think he's similar to Conor McGregor in the sense that when they both retired and went to boxing."

Aldo initially retired from UFC competition in 2022 before making his comeback in 2024. Zahabi is expecting a new version of Aldo from the one who walked away from MMA in 2022.

"Conor didn't retire to go to boxing, but when he did, he lost that MMA distance and tried to fight more like a boxer," Zahabi explained. "I feel like in Aldo’s most recent fights, compared to before he went to boxing, his stance has changed. The strikes he chooses to counter with are different.

"I’m expecting the Aldo from his more recent fights rather than the old Aldo."

However, the Canadian remains ready in case the Brazilian returns to his old fighting style. The verdict will come on May 10 in Montreal.

"I don't know if he's going to go back to low kicks as much as he used to, but I’m still preparing for them just in case he returns to his old style," he said.