Farid Basharat is heading into the last bout of his current UFC contract when he competes at UFC 329 on July 11, and the unbeaten bantamweight is clear about what he wants next.
Basharat, 28, holds a 15-0 professional record with six wins inside the UFC octagon. He says he currently owns the longest win streak in the UFC bantamweight division and views this upcoming appearance as a pivotal moment in his career.
"This is going to be the last fight on my contract so I’m hoping it does reward me," Basharat said. "I’m hoping I go out there and have a good performance and then as it stands because [Sean] O’Malley beat [Aiemann] Zahabi, I do have the longest win streak in the bantamweight division."
Originally slated to face Ethyn Ewing at UFC 329, Basharat is now awaiting a new opponent after Ewing withdrew due to injury. Despite the uncertainty, he’s embracing the stakes.
"It’s a gamble," he said. "If it were up to me, I’d re-sign straight away because ultimately the UFC is where everybody wants to be. I love being here. I enjoy fighting here on this stage. The company has always been good to me."
Basharat has discussed his contract situation with his manager Ali Abdelaziz and believes another standout performance on July 11 will secure his future.
"But listen, here we are. July 11, I go out there on the biggest card of the year and one of the biggest cards of the year and have a great performance, I think I’ll be undeniable to re-sign [to a new contract]."
