DFS Army predicted Aiemann Zahabi (+170) to upset Jose Aldo in what they called a "very boring" striking match that is –350 to reach the judges. Aldo costs $9,000 yet has eclipsed 100 DraftKings points only once since 2016, throws fewer than 5.0 significant strikes per minute, and has attempted just one takedown in his last ten fights. Zahabi has not been taken down since 2017 and does a good job limiting opponent volume, so a slow-paced decision could easily tilt his way. A $7,200 win would smash salary-based value and threaten the optimal lineup even with only 60–70 points, while Aldo’s ceiling is likely capped around 75. The hosts will roster Zahabi in both cash and GPP builds and are content to be heavily underweight on Aldo.

Jeff Fox backed Aiemann Zahabi at +175, arguing the Canadian is the fresher fighter despite being only a year younger than Jose Aldo. Zahabi has won five straight and has not lost since 2019, while Aldo is just 4-5 over his last nine and is now dropping decisions to mid-tier bantamweights. Fox highlighted Zahabi’s higher striking pace and perfectly even (+0.0) strike differential across eight UFC bouts, compared to Aldo’s –0.10. With Aldo’s trademark leg-kicks ‘pretty much non-existent’ and his finishing touch gone, Fox expects Faras Zahabi’s game plan to keep Iman pressing forward and landing sharp counters. He prefers the underdog moneyline but noted Zahabi KO props offer extra upside given Aldo’s four career KO losses and accumulated wear-and-tear.

Gumby Vreeland agreed on Zahabi, drilling down on the matchup details. He referenced Aldo’s loss to Mario Bautista, where Bautista pinned him to the fence and drained him, and predicted Zahabi will apply similar forward pressure—only with cleaner boxing. Vreeland emphasized Zahabi’s crisp counter-punching that has produced multiple UFC knockouts and pointed out Aldo’s kicking game has disappeared since his boxing stint: ‘It’s like he forgot his legs work.’ That limits Aldo’s weapons and makes him easier to read. With the best-in-class coaching of brother Faras Zahabi and practically no cage miles, Vreeland sees Zahabi forcing Aldo backward, out-landing him, and possibly finishing late. He advises taking the underdog moneyline or Inside-the-Distance prop instead of laying –198 on the former champ.

Betss forecasted a low-volume, optics-driven kickboxing match where hometown fighter Aiemann Zahabi edges aging legend Jose Aldo on the scorecards. Aldo has been out-landed in five of his last six UFC bouts (Volkanovski, Yan, Vera, Moraes, Merab) and now throws just 3.7 significant strikes per minute. Zahabi, by contrast, lands 4.6 per minute and owns slick counter-jabs that fit perfectly against Aldo’s cautious, single-shot boxing. Because both men average fewer than one takedown per 15 minutes and are notoriously durable, Betss expects the judges to decide it—likely with Canadian bias. He grabbed Zahabi by split decision at +900 on BetOnline and sprinkled Zahabi KO at +800 as a tiny hedge in case a counter drops the 37-year-old Aldo.

Georges St. Pierre singled out Aiemann Zahabi as the Canadian most likely to “shine” on the UFC 315 card, even with the daunting task of facing legend Jose Aldo on home soil. GSP, who will be in Zahabi’s corner, said the key is emotional control: sleeping in your own bed and hearing the crowd can tempt a fighter to press, but Zahabi simply needs to stick to his usual measured style to prevail. St. Pierre believes Zahabi’s all-around game is already "enough to win" if he avoids forcing highlight-reel moments. Bettors looking for a plus-money local angle got a subtle stamp of approval from the welterweight GOAT.

Betss forecasted a low-volume, optics-driven kickboxing match where hometown fighter Aiemann Zahabi edges aging legend Jose Aldo on the scorecards. Aldo has been out-landed in five of his last six UFC bouts (Volkanovski, Yan, Vera, Moraes, Merab) and now throws just 3.7 significant strikes per minute. Zahabi, by contrast, lands 4.6 per minute and owns slick counter-jabs that fit perfectly against Aldo’s cautious, single-shot boxing. Because both men average fewer than one takedown per 15 minutes and are notoriously durable, Betss expects the judges to decide it—likely with Canadian bias. He grabbed Zahabi by split decision at +900 on BetOnline and sprinkled Zahabi KO at +800 as a tiny hedge in case a counter drops the 37-year-old Aldo.

Georges St. Pierre singled out Aiemann Zahabi as the Canadian most likely to “shine” on the UFC 315 card, even with the daunting task of facing legend Jose Aldo on home soil. GSP, who will be in Zahabi’s corner, said the key is emotional control: sleeping in your own bed and hearing the crowd can tempt a fighter to press, but Zahabi simply needs to stick to his usual measured style to prevail. St. Pierre believes Zahabi’s all-around game is already "enough to win" if he avoids forcing highlight-reel moments. Bettors looking for a plus-money local angle got a subtle stamp of approval from the welterweight GOAT.

Millz Young is fading the market’s fascination with explosive newcomer Jose Aldo and backing Canadian underdog Aiemann Zahabi to grind out a decision. Zahabi will have Georges St-Pierre and the Tristar team in his corner, which Millz believes will fuel a smart, measured game plan focused on slowing Aldo early and stealing late rounds once Aldo’s gas tank falters. Because Aldo tends to fade and Zahabi can turn up the volume late, Millz sees a path where Zahabi edges two of three rounds in front of a favorable crowd. Recommended play: Zahabi money line or Zahabi by Decision at juicier odds.