UFC’s return to Montreal sends Tristar Gym into war preparation

Tristar’s long-awaited return to their hometown stage is only a month away

SportsFeatureSantiago Jimenez — Published April 1, 2025 5 minutes

After a decade-long wait, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has finally announced a return to the Bell Centre, hosting its eighth appearance in the city of Montreal. Tristar’s fighters and coaches have had to travel constantly for fights in the organization, but this time, they get to perform in their own backyard.

In a sport that is constantly evolving, Tristar seems to always have a grasp at the top of most mixed martial arts (MMA) organizations. Coach Firas Zahabi and his coaching staff help fighters keep their techniques sharp. The team achieves this with repetition drills, building up confidence through sparring rounds, and building fighters’ physical resistance with strength and conditioning sessions.

Fighters like Rob Font and Arnold Allen have both been at the top of their respective divisions and saw great improvements after moving their camps to Tristar. Building champions and top contenders since the late 2000s, nearly 20 years later, Tristar still has fighters at the top of their divisions. The gym’s reputation brings fighters from all over the globe to come train with them. 

On May 10, Tristar’s own Aiemann Zahabi is set to face his toughest test yet on home soil: former UFC featherweight champion José Aldo. 

Tristar has a long history with the bright lights of the UFC octagon, having created multiple current and former UFC fighters. This includes legends of the game such as former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre. Former welterweight title challenger Rory MacDonald also saw immense growth after training at the Décarie gym.

So, it was obvious that when the UFC offered Tristar the opportunity to shine once again on the biggest stage in the sport, it would take that opportunity in a heartbeat. 

“When we see the opportunities that are coming to Montreal, the opportunities coming to the guys we’re training with are getting, it’s exciting, motivating and inspiring for everyone in the gym,” said Tristar prospect Mike Jones.

Set for the fight on UFC 315 live from their backyard, preparations for fight night have started at the Montreal gym. Currently ranked number 14 in the bantamweight division, Zahabi has a golden opportunity to make a statement in front of his home crowd and against his most dangerous opponent to date.

Unity is one of the many reasons why the gym is so successful, and as the saying goes, “Iron sharpens iron.” Creating strong bonds is at the core of Tristar and is the stepping stone necessary to create the best fighters in the world. 

“We’re as strong as our weakest training partner,” coach Neil Sheppard said. “We’re always bringing up the weaker guys and making them better and better every day. It’s crazy how fast our beginners get better nowadays.” 

Despite being 38 years old, Aldo has been praised for looking as sharp as ever in his past two performances. And that’s exactly what Tristar is expecting from the Brazilian. 

Performing under the bright lights of the UFC is no easy task, and with the many pressures and expectations that come with the business, it’s easy for fighters to get overwhelmed if unprepared. 

As the saying goes, “It gets lonely at the top.” But Tristar’s environment is made to counter that feeling of isolation. Zahabi might be the only person from the gym who will be physically present in the octagon, but his coaches and teammates would beg to differ.

“We’re going to war together as a team, and Aiemann is the captain of this team,” Sheppard said. “If Aiemann goes to war, we all go to war.”

The preparation for a fight of this calibre must be rigorous, and if done as a team effort, the puzzle pieces fall into place with a lot more ease than if done alone. The preparation done behind closed doors is often the deciding factor towards one’s success in this sport and is very punishing for the unprepared. That’s where the role of the head coach comes in.

The head coach, in this case, just so happens to be the owner of the gym and older brother of Zahabi, Firas Zahabi.

Considered a genius in the realm of MMA by many, Firas has gotten recognition across the globe. The coaching staff, along with the fighters in the gym, are all very quick to give him his flowers.

“He’s such a genius, he’s always teaching us and teaching himself even if fighting has evolved this much [since Firas started],” Sheppard said. “Coach Firas is basically the mastermind behind it all.”

International fighters have even moved to Montreal to train with Firas. 

“I moved to Montreal in 2019 because of Tristar,” said undefeated pro fighter from Iran, SeyedMostafa Salehizadeh. “Firas Zahabi is one of the best coaches in the world.”

Being recognized as the best in the world wasn’t a label that was simply gifted to him. Firas is a graduate of Concordia University’s department of philosophy and found a love for MMA after the UFC’s very first event in 1993.

In a La Presse article, Firas spoke about how he never expected to make a living out of this sport, but his love of the game made him stay in this lane. 

“My original plan was to become a lawyer, but after I graduated from Concordia in philosophy, I told myself I’d do what I love most,” he said. 

And to say that it paid off would be the understatement of the century.

After buying Tristar from its original owner in 2007, the stars started to align for the coach. The biggest upset in UFC history had just happened after St-Pierre lost his title to Matt Serra. 

St-Pierre was then looking for a new head coach to make the changes necessary in the hopes of one day reclaiming his welterweight championship, which is when he crossed paths with coach Firas. 

That legacy is one that will never be taken away from the gym, but since St-Pierre’s retirement in 2017, a new page has been turned.

The MMA scene of the city has only grown since, and the competition has also been raised to an unforeseen level. It was only a matter of time until someone would break through and swiftly revive the Montreal scene in the UFC.

On May 10, live from the Bell Centre, a new page in the city’s long-lasting legacy will be written, and Zahabi’s name, alongside his coaches and training partners, plan to kick off this new era with a resounding exclamation point.

This article originally appeared in Volume 45, Issue 12, published April 1, 2025.