Farid Basharat calls UFC 329 a gamble. Basharat is heading into one of the biggest fights of his career at UFC 329 but it’s not just his undefeated record on the line.
The Afghan-born bantamweight has revealed that his upcoming bout will be the final fight on his current UFC contract, leaving his future with the promotion uncertain despite an impressive run inside the Octagon. Basharat, who boasts a perfect 15-0 professional record and has won all six of his UFC appearances, admitted he would have preferred to sign a new deal before stepping back into the cage. Instead, the UFC asked him to compete first, with contract negotiations expected to follow after the event.
“This is going to be the last fight on my contract so I’m hoping it does reward me,” Basharat told MMA Fighting. “I’m hoping I go out there and have a good performance and then as it stands because [Sean] O’Malley beat [Aiemann] Zahabi, I do have the longest win streak in the bantamweight division. “So I’m hoping go out there, beat this guy and get rewarded with a new contract. Hopefully the next opponent is going to be a step up. That’s the plan.”
The mission stays the same for Basharat, who was already out to prove something with his performance at UFC 329. “Obviously I’ve discussed it with [my manager] and ideally you want to re-sign as soon as possible,” Basharat said. “But the way the timing happened, the UFC offered this fight and they said ‘get this fight out of the way and then we can discuss.’ For myself, I feel like I’ve already proven I belong in the UFC. I have the longest win streak. They’ve been tough guys. They’ve been tough guys and now I’m fighting another tough guy who many people are touting as the next contender or champion or superstar or whatever you will. “I go out and [win], seven fight win streak, 16-0 before turning 29 even, surely you’d think this is somebody the company would want to keep. I’m hoping to go out there, have a great showing and re-sign to be honest with you.”
The situation carries extra significance because Basharat has already seen how unpredictable the business can be. Earlier this year, his older brother, Javid Basharat, won the final fight on his UFC contract but was not offered a new deal afterward. That experience has made Farid fully aware that even victory does not guarantee another contract.
“It’s a gamble,” Basharat told MMA Fighting. “If it were up to me, I’d re-sign straight away because ultimately the UFC is where everybody wants to be. I love being here. I enjoy fighting here on this stage. The company has always been good to me. My goal was always to be the UFC champion and I feel like I’m on my way. But it happened in a way where they wanted me to have this fight first to see. “But listen, here we are. July 11, I go out there on the biggest card of the year and one of the biggest cards of the year and have a great performance, I think I’ll be undeniable to re-sign [to a new contract].”
Despite the risk, Basharat remains optimistic. He believes another strong performance at UFC 329 would extend his winning streak to seven straight inside the Octagon and make it difficult for the UFC to overlook him. He also hopes such a performance would earn him tougher, higher-ranked opposition in the bantamweight division. Originally, Basharat was scheduled to face rising prospect Ethyn Ewing, but Ewing withdrew because of injury. At the time of his interview, the UFC was working to find a replacement opponent, although Basharat insisted that his mindset had not changed regardless of who stands across from him on fight night.
Rather than dwell on the uncertainty surrounding his contract, Basharat says he is focused solely on what he can control. his preparation and his performance. With an unbeaten record, the longest active winning streak in the UFC bantamweight division, and a place on one of the promotion’s biggest cards of the year, he believes the opportunity is there to prove he deserves a long-term future in the UFC.
For Basharat, UFC 329 represents far more than another fight. It is a chance to protect his perfect record, secure his future with the UFC, and take another major step toward his ultimate goal of becoming a world champion.
