Farid Basharat reveals he fought through torn MCL, meniscus at UFC 329

Farid Basharat gutted out a unanimous decision victory over promotional debutant John Garza at UFC 329 despite competing through a torn MCL and meniscus suffered just three weeks before the bout. Originally scheduled to face Ethyn Ewing, Basharat saw his opponent withdraw due to injury and accepted a replacement fight against Garza on only six days' notice. Despite entering as a heavy betting favorite at -700 on some books, Basharat found himself in a tighter-than-expected contest against the young prospect.

The undefeated bantamweight revealed post-fight that he had been compromised throughout the final preparation phase, managing a knee brace during fight week while dealing with the aggravation of his injuries. Never considering withdrawal despite the pain, Basharat noted that he sometimes needs "protection from his own toughness" in reference to his willingness to fight through adversity. He took the bout seriously and ultimately dominated enough to secure all three judges' scorecards, though Garza demonstrated he belongs in the UFC even with minimal preparation time.

With the victory, Basharat improved to an unblemished 16-0 record and earned his seventh UFC win. Garza, at 23 years old and with a 6-2 record, made a strong impression stepping in on short notice, proving himself a worthy test despite the circumstances.