Farid Basharat reveals he’s competing at UFC 329 on final fight of his contract: ‘It’s a gamble’

Undefeated bantamweight Farid Basharat faces a high-stakes gamble at UFC 329 in July: his fight card appearance marks the final bout on his current UFC contract, leaving his future with the promotion entirely uncertain despite an impressive 15-0 record and six octagon victories.

The 28-year-old is acutely aware that the UFC holds all the cards once his contract expires. The promotion can offer him a new deal—or simply part ways. That reality hit home when his brother Javid, also a UFC fighter, won his contracted final bout in February only to be released rather than re-signed. "It's a gamble," Basharat acknowledged to MMA Fighting, adding that he would have preferred to lock in a new contract immediately. "If it were up to me, I'd re-sign straight away because ultimately the UFC is where everybody wants to be."

Basharat's confidence stems from his current form. With the longest active win streak in the bantamweight division following Sean O'Malley's victory over Aiemann Zahabi, he believes a strong performance at UFC 329—one of the year's biggest cards—will make him impossible to cut. Originally scheduled to face rising prospect Ethyn Ewing before an injury forced a matchup change, Basharat remains willing to fight whoever the promotion assigns him. He views the assignment as an opportunity to prove he's championship material.

His manager Ali Abdelaziz has discussed the contract situation, and Basharat plans to let his performance do the talking. Entering the fight at 15-0 and aiming for a seventh straight win, he believes a convincing victory will demonstrate to the UFC that keeping him is in their interest. "I'm hoping to go out there, have a great showing and re-sign," he said, emphasizing his philosophy: "Control what you can control. If it's not in your hands, why worry about it?"