Farid Basharat Walks From UFC Unbeaten at 16-0 After 7-0 Run

The UFC just let a 16-0, top-15 bantamweight walk out the door. Farid Basharat has been removed from the roster after fighting out his contract, with no new deal on the table despite a flawless 7-0 run inside the octagon that stretched his overall winning streak to 20.

Basharat, 29, closed out his deal with a decision win over John Garza back in July. That was his seventh straight UFC victory since he punched his ticket on Dana White's Contender Series in 2022, a run good enough to land him at #14 in the official 135-pound rankings. He's never lost a professional fight.

A Résumé That Should Travel

This isn't a prospect being cut loose before he's proven anything. Basharat holds wins over Jean Matsumoto, Taylor Lapilus, and Chris Gutierrez — the last a unanimous decision over a veteran who sits at 22-7-2. His game leans heavily on grappling: six of his 16 wins come by submission, with just one knockout on the ledger. That's a specific, hard-to-prepare-for threat for any promotion willing to sign him.

Because he fought out his contract rather than being released mid-deal, Basharat is free to sign anywhere. The UFC also keeps the door open to re-signing him down the line, which happens more than people assume. For now, though, a ranked, undefeated bantamweight is on the open market.

The Family Pattern

If this feels familiar, it should. Farid's older brother Javid Basharat (16-2, with five KOs and six submissions of his own) was also cut off the back of a victory earlier and has since landed with the PFL. Two brothers, both released after wins, is a strange look for a division the promotion keeps insisting is deep.

The move raises the obvious question about how the UFC values its lower-weight contracts, especially ranked fighters who aren't yet headliners. Basharat did everything asked of him — win, climb, stay healthy — and still ended up a free agent. Whoever signs him inherits a 20-fight streak and a top-15 UFC pedigree. That's not a reclamation project. That's a plug-and-play contender.