Unbeaten Farid Basharat released by UFC despite going 7-0 in the Octagon

Farid Basharat has been released by the UFC without ever suffering a defeat in the promotion, MMA Fighting has confirmed. The 29-year-old bantamweight completed his contract with a victory over John Garza in July and was not offered a new deal, leaving him free to sign with any other organisation.

Basharat finished his UFC tenure with a perfect 7-0 record inside the Octagon, part of an unblemished 16-0 professional career that included a 20-fight winning streak. He had climbed into the top 10 of the UFC’s official bantamweight rankings at 135 pounds, with notable victories over Jean Matsumoto, Chris Gutierrez, and Taylor Lapilus along the way.

The Afghan-Canadian fighter first earned his UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022 and steadily built one of the more quietly impressive runs in the division. Despite never losing and holding a top-10 ranking, the promotion chose not to extend his contract once it expired.

Basharat is now free to negotiate with rival promotions. The UFC retains the option to re-sign him at a future date, though no such discussions have been reported.

The situation echoes that of his older brother Javid Basharat, who was also released by the UFC following a victory and has since signed with the PFL. Whether Farid follows a similar path to a rival promotion remains to be seen.