UFC bantamweight contender Aiemann Zahabi told Newsmax's "Saturday Report" that next week's UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House South Lawn could attract an audience unlike anything the sport has seen before.
"People are saying it's going to be more watched than the Super Bowl," Zahabi said. "I'm really excited about getting out in front of fans that maybe have never seen mixed martial arts before, or even watched the UFC."
The June 14 card, coinciding with President Donald Trump's 80th birthday celebration, will be held outdoors at the White House, creating what Zahabi called a unique opportunity "to get in front of new fans."
Reflecting on his family's immigrant roots, Zahabi said his parents' journey from Lebanon to Canada shaped his outlook on success.
"It's kind of like the American dream, you know, the Canadian version," he said. "When your parents sacrifice so much, you don't want to take it for granted."
Zahabi recounted how his father "had to go to night school to learn English and French" after arriving with limited language skills. "My parents speak three languages just to make it so that we can have a better life," he said.
The fighter said he and his brothers have worked to honor those sacrifices. "We've become successes, and we did that also in part for our parents so that they can be proud of us."
Now a father himself, Zahabi said he hopes his twin daughters will exceed his accomplishments.
"Whatever they choose to do in life, I want them to surpass me in terms of success," he said.
To prepare for the unusual outdoor setting, Zahabi arrived in the Washington area weeks early.
"I came to Falls Church on May 31 so I can come get used to the humidity," he said. "I've been doing my night trainings outside to get used to the atmosphere, the bugs, and whatever."
He has also been walking around Washington landmarks to familiarize himself with the environment.
"I've been taking walks around the Washington Monument and the White House and just immersing myself in the area," Zahabi said. "When I come out on June 14, I've seen it all before, and it's not going to be a surprise for me."
Zahabi will face former UFC champion Sean O'Malley, a matchup he believes favors his unconventional approach.
"When you watch him strike, he's very traditional and a very clean striker," Zahabi said. "I bring something that's very unconventional. It's kind of a little bit of a novelty, my style."
He added: "There's no clear-cut solutions for my style. I feel like that's going to put him in a quagmire situation where I'm going to be able to expose his clean style."
While acknowledging O'Malley's championship pedigree, Zahabi expressed confidence in his ability to adapt as the fight unfolds.
"Round two won't look like round one, and round three won't look like round two," he said. "I've been in hot water in fights before and still won. He's going to have to kill me in there to get me out of there."
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