The UFC has removed undefeated bantamweight contender Farid Basharat from the promotion’s roster despite an incredible MMA record.
Basharat’s UFC contract expired following a unanimous decision win over John Garza at UFC 329 in July. He had made it clear he was hoping to re-sign with the world’s leading MMA promotion, but unfortunately for Basharat, that won’t be the case.
Farid Basharat Removed From UFC Roster
According to MMAFighting.com’s Guilherme Cruz, the UFC has chosen to remove Basharat from its fighter roster after the conclusion of his last contract.
At this time, the UFC is not offering Basharat a new contract, though things could change in the future. Still, the fact that he was not offered a new deal is not a good sign, and Basharat is now a free agent and free to sign with any other fighting promotion.
Farid Basharat is a Top-15-Ranked Bantamweight
Per the official UFC media rankings, Basharat is currently the No. 13-ranked bantamweight in the UFC, though he will be removed from the rankings now that he is no longer on the promotion’s roster.
Basharat has a perfect 16-0 record in MMA, including a 7-0 record inside the Octagon. However, six of his wins have come by decision, and we all know that the UFC prefers fighters who finish their fights. Therefore, it’s not a huge shock that he’s been removed from the roster, especially since he was likely due a raise from his last contract due to his undefeated record.
It’s worth noting that Farid Basharat’s brother, Javid Basharat, was also in a similar situation, as he was released from the UFC off a win, later joining the PFL. So perhaps the two brothers could join each other in the PFL, which is set to merge with MVP MMA ahead of 2027.
Regardless, this is certainly an unfortunate end to Basharat’s UFC run, as he first earned a contract to fight inside the Octagon after winning on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022. But even though he never lost inside the Octagon, it wasn’t enough to keep the matchmakers interested in retaining his services, at least for now.
UFC Removes Undefeated Bantamweight Contender From Roster