Firas Zahabi

Last updated

Firas Zahabi
Firas Zahabi.png
Zahabi in 2021
Born (1980-02-05) 5 February 1980 (age 44) [1]
Quebec, Canada [1]
Team Tristar Gym [2]
Rank Black belt in BJJ under John Danaher [1] [2]
OccupationOwner and head trainer of Tristar Gym [3]
University Concordia University [3]
Notable relatives Aiemann Zahabi [4]
Notable students Georges St-Pierre

Firas Zahabi (born 5 February 1980) is a Canadian martial artist who is the owner and head coach at Tristar Gym. [1] [3] Zahabi is known for his work with mixed martial artist Georges St-Pierre. [5]

Contents

Early life

Zahabi was born on 5 February 1980, in Quebec, Canada. His parents are Lebanese Immigrants. [1]

Growing up, Zahabi and his brothers were mainly interested in American football. It wasn't until 1998 when Zahabi turned 18, that he was exposed to martial arts. [1] Zahabi became interested in martial arts after watching UFC 2 where Royce Gracie defeated all his opponents using Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ). [1]

Zahabi attended Concordia University where he graduated with a degree in philosophy with a specialization in the Ancient Greeks. [3] [5] [6] [2]

Martial arts career

In 2000, Zahabi joined Tristar Gym where he trained in BJJ and Muay Thai. [1] After just six months, Zahabi earned a Blue Belt in BJJ and became a part time coach at the gym. [1] [2]

A few years later, Zahabi met John Danaher and would frequently make trips to Renzo Gracie Academy in New York City to train with him. [1] [2] In 2011, Zahabi received his Black Belt in BJJ from Danaher himself. [1] [2]

Because Zahabi was studying at University, he was not able to compete extensively. [1] [2] Nonetheless, he became a Canadian Amateur Muay Thai Champion and also won a few provincial-level grappling competitions. [5] He also fought in some amateur unregulated mixed martial arts bouts. [5] The organization where Zahabi became champion was called Full-Contact Jiu-Jitsu . [7]

Coaching career

In 2007, Conrad Pla the owner of Tristar Gym became too busy to run the gym so he handed it over to Zahabi to run. In 2008, the gym was sold to Zahabi and he became the new owner. [1] [3] [2]

Zahabi has since then trained many different fighters under Tristar Gym. [3] His coaching style is focused on technique in a very controlled manner. Fighters will not go all-out during training sessions as he considers it not an effective way to train as recovery is considered important. [8] [9]

Zahabi's most notable student is Georges St-Pierre.The two of them met when they were amateur fighters. [7] After becoming champion, Zahabi decided to become a coach to St-Pierre. [7] After UFC 69 where St-Pierre lost the UFC Welterweight title to Matt Serra, Zahabi became St-Pierre's main coach for the rest of his career. [1] [5]

In April 2021, Zahabi was involved in an incident involving the Montreal Police. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the police would regularly visit Tristar Gym to verify it was conforming to public health regulations. After sixteen visits in the past year, on 9 April, Zahabi refused to allow the police to come in for the third time on that day. As a result, the police waited outside the gym for hours until the issue was eventually resolved between the two parties. [10]

MMA commentary and television

Zahabi and UFC hall of famer Stephan Bonnar provided the commentary for all Titan FC events broadcast by CBS Sports in 2014. [11] [12]

Zahabi was the MMA coach on The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck, of the UFC‐produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. [13]

Personal life

Family

Zahabi is the older brother of UFC bantamweight fighter Aiemann Zahabi. [4]

Zahabi is married to Melissa Gendron who he met during university. [14] They have three children which include two sons and one daughter. [14]

Religion

Zahabi is a Muslim and has talked on podcasts about Islamic philosophy and polemics. [15]

Controversy

Zahabi has been criticised for the fact that he refuses to train with women in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for religious reasons. [16]

Instructor lineage

Kano Jigoro → Tomita Tsunejiro → Mitsuyo Maeda → Carlos Gracie, Sr. → Helio Gracie → Rolls Gracie → Carlos Gracie, Jr. → Renzo Gracie → John Danaher → Firas Zahabi

Notable fighters trained

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B.J. Penn</span> American mixed martial arts fighter

Jay Dee "B.J." Penn III is an American former professional mixed martial art fighter and 5th degree black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. A former UFC Lightweight Champion and UFC Welterweight Champion, he is the second of nine fighters in UFC history to win titles in multiple weight classes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renzo Gracie</span> Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and mixed martial artist

Renzo Gracie is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and 7th degree coral belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and coach. A third generation member of the Gracie family, he is the grandson of Gracie jiu-jitsu co-founder Carlos Gracie, grandnephew of Helio Gracie, nephew of Carlos Gracie Jr. and the son of Robson Gracie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marco Ruas</span> Brazilian mixed martial artist

Marco Antônio de Lima Ruas is a Brazilian former mixed martial arts fighter, submission wrestler, kickboxer and instructor. Ruas was the UFC 7 Tournament Champion, and also competed for the World Vale Tudo Championship (WVC), PRIDE Fighting Championships and the International Fight League, where he head-coached the Southern California Condors.

Brazilian Top Team (BTT) is an academy and team specialized in Brazilian jiu jitsu and mixed martial arts. It was established in April 2000 by Murilo Bustamante, Ricardo Libório, Mário Sperry and Luis Roberto Duarte, former members of the Carlson Gracie Academy, to develop and create new training techniques for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, submission grappling and mixed martial arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlos Newton</span> Canadian mixed martial artist

Carlos Newton is an Anguillian-born Canadian retired mixed martial artist. He is a former UFC Welterweight Champion and Pride FC Japan MMA Legend. Known as "The Ronin", he competed worldwide in the biggest MMA organizations including UFC, Pride FC, IFL, K-1, Shooto and most recently W-1. He is a 3rd Degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt alongside his coach Terry Riggs under Renzo Gracie, at Warrior MMA in Newmarket, Ontario. Newton has always been considered a fan favourite and a "Submission Master" and has dubbed his personal fighting style — an amalgam of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Wrestling, Karate, Krav Maga, and Boxing — as "Dragon Ball Jiu-Jitsu" in tribute to Dragon Ball, a Japanese manga and anime franchise. Newton is one of only a few MMA athletes to ever be allowed to compete in the UFC and Pride FC at the same time. In Canada he was the first Canadian UFC Champion at UFC 31 (Welterweight) defeating Pat Miletich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georges St-Pierre</span> Canadian mixed martial arts fighter

Georges St-Pierre, also known by his initials GSP, is a Canadian actor and former professional mixed martial artist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) history and is often compared with Jon Jones in debates on the greatest fighter of all time. St-Pierre was a two-division champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), having won titles in the welterweight and middleweight divisions and has defeated every opponent he has ever faced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Serra</span> American mixed martial arts fighter

Matt Serra is an American former professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) competitor and a former UFC Welterweight Champion. He is the co-star of Dana White: Lookin' for a Fight and co-host of the official podcast of the UFC, UFC Unfiltered, alongside Jim Norton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Gracie</span> Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and mixed martial artist

Roger Gracie is a Brazilian former professional mixed martial artist (MMA) and 5th degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) practitioner and coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Team Quest</span> Mixed martial arts training organization

Team Quest is a mixed martial arts training camp founded by Randy Couture and Dan Henderson with facilities located in Gresham, Oregon; Murrieta, California; Encinitas, California; Redding, California; Hemet, California; and Chiang Mai, Thailand. Notable fighters that have trained at the Oregon facility are Matt Lindland, Dave Jansen, Nathan Coy, and Chael Sonnen.

The Tristar Gym is a mixed martial arts training centre located in Le Triangle Borough in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Instructors at the gym include Firas Zahabi, Conrad Pla and Georges St-Pierre. Tristar Gym is one of the top professional MMA training camps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu</span> Mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym based in Pleasant Hill, California

Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is a mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym based in Pleasant Hill, California. The gym features professional fighters who have competed in many major promotions, such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), PRIDE Fighting Championships, DREAM, and Strikeforce.

Tom DeBlass is an American Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, submission grappler and mixed martial artist currently signed to ONE Championship. He has competed in the middleweight division for Bellator and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aiemann Zahabi</span> Canadian mixed martial arts fighter (born 1987)

Aiemann Zahabi is a Canadian mixed martial artist. He competes in the bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Aiemann is the younger brother of Tristar Gym head trainer Firas Zahabi. As of November 19, 2024, he is #13 in the UFC bantamweight rankings.

John Danaher is a US-born New Zealand martial artist. He is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts (MMA) instructor and coach. Danaher is widely regarded as one of the best instructors and coaches in these sports.

Julija Stoliarenko is a Lithuanian mixed martial artist, Lethwei fighter, submission grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt athlete.

Serra-Longo Fight Team is a mixed martial arts team based on Long Island, New York that was formed by Matt Serra and Ray Longo. The team has two gyms operating under it, Serra BJJ Academy and Longo-Weidman MMA. It has produced four UFC champions, Matt Serra, Chris Weidman, Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili.

Carlos André Pederneiras de Castro is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and mixed martial arts (MMA) coach and promoter. A former BJJ competitor, holding today a Red and Black 7th Degree Coral belt, Pederneiras is a six-time Brazilian National jiu-jitsu champion. During his short career as an MMA fighter, he challenged Pat Miletich for the UFC Welterweight Championship in 1999, and fought at the Shooto-run Vale Tudo Japan events.

Craig Benjamin Jones is an Australian grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt competitor and coach. An IBJJF World No-Gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion as a white belt, Jones is a two-time ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship silver medalist and a three-time Polaris Pro Grappling champion. Jones trains out of Austin, Texas, and is the head of B Team Jiu-Jitsu.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Firas Zahabi | BJJ Heroes".
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Wray, David (29 April 2021). "Firas Zahabi - MMA Coach Biography" . Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Stu Cowan: Montreal's Tristar Gym becomes MMA training mecca". montrealgazette.
  4. 1 2 "For Aiemann Zahabi, a family name brings big expectations in UFC debut". MMA Junkie. 18 February 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gordon, Sean (15 March 2013). "Meet the philosopher king behind Georges St. Pierre's UFC success". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  6. ↑ "The mastermind behind the legend". www.concordia.ca. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Morris, Jessy. "Exclusive Interview With GSP Trainer Firas Zahabi". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  8. ↑ "Georges St-Pierre's training secret: Firas Zahabi and the TriStar gym". FOX Sports. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  9. ↑ Bullmore, Harry (28 August 2018). "How Hard Should You Be Going At The Gym?". Men's Health. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  10. ↑ "Montreal gym owner tired of police visits during pandemic". montrealgazette. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  11. ↑ Helwani, Ariel (14 February 2014). "Stephan Bonnar to serve as color analyst for Titan Fighting Championship". MMAfighting.com. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  12. ↑ Whitman, Mike. "Titan Fighting Championship Debuts on CBS Sports Network on Feb. 28 with TFC 27". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  13. ↑ "The Ultimate Fighter 12 List Of Assistant Coaches For Kos And GSP". MMA News. 7 June 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  14. 1 2 "Firas Zahabi Bio, Family, Career, Wife, Net Worth, Measurements". Biographics World. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  15. ↑ "Mohammed Hijab - Firas Zahabi Talks Religion, Consciousness and Meaning of Life". Muslim Central. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  16. ↑ Burne, Kathrine (5 November 2022). "Firas Zahabi Comes Under Fire For His Comments On Women In BJJ". Jitsmagazine.com. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  17. ↑ DNA, MMA (10 May 2020). "Georges St-Pierre komt in de UFC Hall of Fame". MMA DNA. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  18. ↑ Carlson, Ollie (3 October 2019). "The team behind Robert Whittaker's rise to middleweight greatness". thebodylockmma.com. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  19. ↑ "Vitor Belfort joins Montreal's Tristar Gym ahead of final octagon bout at UFC 212". MMA Junkie. 8 May 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  20. ↑ "Thanks to Firas Zahabi, UFC 126's Miguel Torres ditches "guts and glory" brawling". MMA Junkie. 4 February 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  21. ↑ Snowden, Jonathan (10 June 2011). "Building A Better UFC Fighter: Firas Zahabi Guides Kenny Florian Towards Featherweight Gold". SBNation.com. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  22. ↑ "Davidson: Reinvigorated Kang ready for UFC debut". ESPN.com. 13 January 2009. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.