Farid Basharat, UFC 285 ceremonial weigh-in Credit: Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press
At UFC Edmonton this past Saturday, UFC CEO and President Dana White addressed the company choosing not to re-sign undefeated bantamweight Farid Basharat.
“I think that when guys contracts are up— this isn’t the first time this has happened,” noted White, replying to a question from Cageside Press, “and either guys aren’t good to deal with and the matchmakers don’t want to deal with them, which could be turning down fights or whatever the reasoning is.”
“If you’re 16-0 with seven wins in the UFC, and don’t get re-signed, there’s definitely a reason,” White added.
While White didn’t specifically state that Basharat had turned down fights, including that example in his comments has led to a lot of speculation on the matter. Now, Basharat’s manager, Dominance MMA’s Ali Abdelaziz, has countered the claim.
“Let me be clear: Farid Basharat did not turn down a fight. In 2024, he fought an opponent who was 10 pounds overweight. He’s always been a company guy and accepted every opponent offered to him,” Abdelaziz wrote on social media recently. “The company decided not to re-sign him, for whatever reason. It’s all good. I still believe he’s one of the best fighters in the world. I believe he was on his way to fighting for a UFC title, and he can beat anybody in the top 15 on any given day. Stay tuned.”
Basarat (16-0) won all seven of his fights in the UFC, but did not secure a single finish, something widely seen as working against him. Earlier this year, his brother Javid Basharat was let go after fighting out his contract. Javid has since signed with the PFL.