In a sport that features multiple attacks, Aiemann Zahabi’s most potent weapon may be his brain.

The 37-year-old bantamweight from Montreal, who has fought and thought his way to No. 9 in the UFC bantamweight rankings, faces another stiff test Saturday in No. 7 Marlon (Chito) Vera at a UFC Fight Night card in Vancouver.

Zahabi (13-2-0) has won six straight in the UFC, most recently dispatching UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo, who retired for a second time after losing by decision to Zahabi in May at UFC 315 in Montreal.

Former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre says Zahabi’s No. 1 attribute is his fighting IQ. Zahabi agrees.

“I’m not physically gifted with athleticism, so I like to use my mind to win the fight,” Zahabi said. “I like to find their weakness and exploit that. Fight to my strength

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