Farid Basharat: Dana White hints at reason for UFC release
Released with a perfect 16-0 record, Basharat says he never turned down a fight; three of his seven UFC wins came against Brazilians.
UFC president Dana White said there is a reason the promotion did not re-sign Farid Basharat, the unbeaten Afghan bantamweight who is 16-0 in MMA and 7-0 in the UFC. White made the comment at the UFC Edmonton post-fight press conference on Saturday night, Oct. 17, in Canada. He did not say what the reason was.
What Dana White said about Basharat
Asked about letting go of a fighter who never lost in the Octagon, White noted that fighters leaving at the end of their contracts is nothing new.
Speaking in general terms, he pointed to fighters who are hard to deal with, whom matchmakers would rather avoid, and to turning down fights. Then he addressed the case directly: “If you’re 16-0 with seven wins in the UFC and don’t get re-signed, there’s definitely a reason.”
At the same press conference, White joked about Joaquin Buckley, who refused to shake his hand at the ceremonial weigh-ins, and praised Mike Malott for his main event knockout, as VF Comunica reported in its UFC Edmonton coverage.
Basharat’s response to his release
White’s remarks came two days after Basharat confirmed his exit in posts on Instagram and X on Thursday, Oct. 15. He said he never declined a fight and that no contract or opponent was offered after his last bout. “I want to clarify that since my last fight I was never offered a contract or an opponent,” he wrote. “I waited but it never came.”
He added: “I’ve certainly never declined a fight during my whole tenure.” Basharat also said he leaves with a “stainless record,” called himself the best bantamweight in the world and criticized the direction of the promotion: “Unfortunately the organization just isn’t what it used to be.”
The case follows several days in which the relationship between fighters and the UFC has been in the spotlight. Brendan Allen said UFC fighters are underpaid before apologizing to White, and Brazil’s Jhonata Diniz weighed in on the pay debate before fighting in Edmonton.
Three wins over Brazilians and one UFC submission
Three of Basharat’s seven UFC wins came against Brazilian fighters. In September 2023, at UFC Paris, he submitted Kleydson Rodrigues with an arm-triangle choke at 4:15 of the first round. It was his only finish in the promotion.
Brazilian fans know that submission well. Islam Makhachev used an arm-triangle choke to beat Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi in October 2022. Oliveira is now calling out Justin Gaethje as he chases another title shot.
Basharat later beat Brazil’s Victor Hugo by unanimous decision at UFC 308 in October 2024, also in Abu Dhabi. In February, at UFC Vegas 113, he edged Jean Matsumoto in the closest fight of his UFC run, a split decision with scores of 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28.
His other six UFC wins all went to the judges. The most recent came in July at UFC 329 against John Garza, who replaced the injured Ethyn Ewing.
Who is Farid Basharat
Born in Afghanistan, Basharat is 29 and the brother of Javid Basharat, who also fought at bantamweight in the UFC. According to Basharat, he leaves the promotion with the longest active win streak in his division and the fourth longest in the entire UFC.
With his contract finished, he is free to negotiate with other promotions. As of publication, no new destination had been announced.
Do you think the UFC made a mistake by letting Farid Basharat walk away unbeaten? Let us know in the comments.
Read more:
- Mike Malott KOs Joaquin Buckley with a knee at UFC Edmonton
- Brendan Allen says UFC fighters are underpaid, then apologizes to the boss
- Jhonata Diniz fires back at Strickland, Costa over UFC pay
