I'm happy they gave me the American [opponent] I wanted, and to do that at this event, it's very nice," said Zahabi.
Striking and Wrestling Dynamics
Addressing O'Malley's skills, Zahabi stated he does not fear the former champion's striking and questioned his opponent's wrestling capabilities.
"I'm not afraid of his striking whatsoever. The fight's going to start on the feet," said Zahabi.
Zahabi referenced O'Malley's past performances against high-pressure wrestlers to highlight potential tactical vulnerabilities.
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"I don't really wrestle unless I have to, unless there's a situation where I need it.
I haven't needed it in the past, so I haven't really used it in the UFC.
I've seen him wrestle — he took down Petr Yan at the end of Round 1 [in 2022]. That was interesting when he felt a lot of pressure.
He might just be saying his insecurities — he knows that wrestling is his weakness. He knows being on his back is a weakness for him," said Zahabi.
He dismissed O'Malley's criticisms regarding his recent split-decision victory over Marlon Vera by pointing out their respective head-to-head histories with the mutual opponent.
"I know he said that I barely beat 'Chito,' but I didn't lose to 'Chito' the first time I fought him, and my arm broke," said Zahabi.
"He got finished by 'Chito' the first time he fought him," said Zahabi.
Zahabi emphasized that execution during the fight remains more critical than pre-fight strategic predictions.
