Dana White told fans there was a "reason" for Farid Basharat's surprise UFC release, but the Afghan fighter assures that's not the case, at least not a reason he's at fault for.
This past week, Basharat (16-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) revealed to the MMA world that he was no longer a UFC fighter after the promotion chose not to re-sign him following the completion of a four-fight deal. This news surprised many, given Basharat was unbeaten and ranked at bantamweight, arguably the most difficult weight class in the UFC. Basharat's split with the UFC left fans with one major question: What happened?
UFC CEO White addressed the situation Saturday following the completion of UFC Edmonton, saying that there was "definitely a reason" Basharat was no longer with the UFC, and went on to say that a UFC stay is much more than winning fights, and that behavior behind the scenes – such as being easy to work with the matchmakers – is also a big part of it.
Basharat claims he was a company man all throughout his UFC tenure, accepting all fights offered – even when injured – and not asking for more money than what UFC offered him.
"In these three months that I've been waiting for the contract, I've never been offered a name or a date or a contract, so in regard to people saying I asked for too much money, trust me: The talks didn't get to the money stage. There was no contract offered in the beginning to counter with, 'Let me get more money,' so that's complete nonsense," Basharat said on his YouTube channel. "Some people are saying I declined certain fights; nobody was given to me. I definitely didn't decline a fight. What I wanted to do was obviously fight upwards because I want to be a champion, so was I given a name and I wasn't playing ball? Absolutely not. Just to make it clear, I've never declined anybody in my entire four years in the UFC. I've never said no to nobody."
Basharat thinks the real reason the UFC didn't offer him a contract is because the promotion is shifting its priorities. He speculates the UFC no longer is looking for the best fighters, but fighters who fight recklessly, independent of technique, so they can put together a wilder product that, in theory, is more appealing to the masses.
"I don't think I fit the direction they're trying to move in," Basharat said. "I think they're trying to go for brawlers that go for blood, whether you win or lose, type of stuff. Me, how I fight, is high IQ, intelligent, and to defeat the opponent where they're weak, don't fight them where they're strong. I don't think that's what they're going for. You can look at my decision percentage; six out of my seven fights were won by decision. But to put this whole myth that I'm a boring fighter, if someone goes to a decision, that doesn't mean they're a boring fighter. Because of that rational, Petr Yan hasn't finished somebody in well over six years. Does that make him boring? No, Petr is arguably the most entertaining fighter on the roster, but all his fights are high quality, good aggression. This isn't a comparison thing. It's about the facts. ... This notion of going to a decision makes you a boring fighter; it's ridiculous. It's sad that a lot of the fanbase is being brainwashed into believing that. UFC is manufacturing a fanbase that doesn't appreciate quality fighting. They just appreciate these rock 'em sock 'em fights. Even if it's a mismatch, even if it's a low-level fight, as long as there's blood and a first-round finish, we're happy."
Getting let go by the UFC while undefeated and climbing the rankings would be a nightmare for any fighter. However, although not happy, Basharat has already bracing for impact. The moment the UFC put him on hold following his win over John Garza at UFC 329, Basharat could see the writing on the wall.
"First of all, UFC 329, that was my final fight on my contract," Basharat said. "It was my fourth fight of my second contract. Generally, how it works in the UFC, before you fight your last fight out, you usually try to sit down with the organization and try and get renewal going. So we went through the fight; obviously we got the victory. Subsequently, we reached out to renegotiate, and they kind of stalled and put the talks on hold. Essentially, we didn't hear from the UFC for about three months. I fought in mid-July, and by the time I got the news, it was the end of October. So over three months, I didn't hear from them. To be be honest with you, I'm not so upset or disappointed partly because I saw it coming. Generally, if they let you fight out your deal, it's not a good sign. If they wanted to give me a contract, they would've given me a contract in the first three months. I've made peace with it."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Farid Basharat denies Dana White’s claim UFC release means he’s difficult