Georges St-Pierre's coach Firas Zahabi shares honest take on future of MMA, uses Ilia Topuria as example

Famed MMA coach Firas Zahabi believes the future of the sport lies in its next generation—fighters who are complete, well-rounded, and learning at a younger age. Appearing on a podcast with former UFC fighter Jake Shields, Zahabi shared that MMA is shifting toward being a “young man’s game,” citing undefeated UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria as the perfect example.

Zahabi noted that fighters today arrive at gyms already equipped with solid foundations in grappling, jiu-jitsu, and striking:

“I think, you know, everybody is well-rounded now.I think, you know, everybody is well-rounded now. You know, there's less guys who are just specialized in one thing. and the kids are just getting better at a young age. Like they come in. They're really, really good. You know, they already understand the grappling dynamics, the jujitsu, the boxing. They're easier to teach…And they're in really good shape. And I mean, they watch the generations before them."

He pointed to Topuria’s meteoric rise as a sign of things to come: a fighter in peak condition, skilled in every aspect of MMA, and capable of reaching the top without suffering early-career setbacks:

"Look at Topuria, you know, he's such a great striker. He's also a great wrestler. He's also really good on the ground, impressive. He's also in great physical shape, like is also super young. Like, it's like, wow, man. He is he went literally undefeated all the way to the world title."

Zahabi believes more fighters will follow this blueprint, crediting past generations for paving the way through trial and error.

Check out Firas Zahabi's comments below:

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Magomed Ankalaev beat Alex Pereira by winning the mental game, according to coach Firas Zahabi

MMA coach Firas Zahabi credited Magomed Ankalaev’s mental edge as the key factor in his unanimous decision victory over Alex Pereira at UFC 313. The bout, which crowned Ankalaev the new light heavyweight champion, marked Pereira’s first loss in the division and stirred debate among fans.

However, Zahabi stood firmly in Ankalaev’s corner. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Zahabi noted that despite Pereira’s reputation, he was unusually hesitant throughout the final rounds.

According to Zahabi, Pereira's hesitancy stemmed from both the damage taken early and the looming threat of a takedown. That mental pressure, he argued, forced Pereira to overthink and lose his rhythm:

“Pereira was hesitant. After Round 1, he was hesitant. He got stunned in Round 1 and ever since he got stunned, he was hesitant. Now, I have my idea why I think he was hesitant. One, he was worried about the takedown. He didn’t want to get taken down. It was on his mind when he got stunned. Now he’s worried about the striking and the takedowns. It was too much. He had to think twice before he throws, and he was like paralysis by analysis. He was trying to predict what Ankalaev was going to do. Ankalaev was more unpredictable than Pereira.”

Check out Firas Zahabi's comments below (2:59):