Overview
- At the UFC Edmonton post-fight press conference on Saturday, Dana White said “there’s definitely a reason” Basharat was not re-signed and suggested matchmaker friction or declined fights could explain such moves.
- Farid Basharat issued a public statement on October 15 saying he was not offered a new contract or opponent after his July win and denying that he ever turned down fights.
- Basharat and his brother Javid responded with videos and social posts this weekend saying they learned of the roster split publicly and that renewal talks never took place during a roughly three-month wait.
- Basharat leaves the UFC as an unbeaten pro at 16-0 with a 7-0 UFC record; six of those seven Octagon wins were by decision and his lone documented stoppage came in Paris on Sept. 2, 2023.
- The case has intensified debate about UFC roster criteria and transparency, observers note similar controversial non-renewals in recent years, and Basharat is a free agent with potential suitors such as PFL or regional European and Middle East promoters but has made no new deal.