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Dana White addresses departure of undefeated UFC fighter

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23 hours ago

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Dana White addresses departure of undefeated UFC fighter

Dana White suggested there's more than meets the eye when it comes to Farid Basharat no longer being on the UFC roster.

The undefeated Basharat made headlines this week when MMA Fighting reported he was a free agent following the completion of his UFC contract. Basharat's departure raised eyebrows due to his 16-0 record, including seven UFC victories. However, Basharat also secured just one finish during his time in the promotion, which led to theories that his style might not have been considered exciting enough in the eyes of officials.

Following Saturday's UFC Edmonton event, UFC DEO Dana White was asked about the Basharat situation and alluded to issues beyond in-cage performance and contract numbers.

“I think that when guys' contracts are up—I mean, this is the first time this has happened—either guys aren't good to deal with and the matchmakers don't want to deal with them, which could be turning down fights or whatever the reasoning is,†White said.

“If you're 16-0, with seven wins in the UFC and don't get re-signed, there's definitely a reason.â€

White didn't elaborate on the reason for Basharat not being re-signed, nor were there any follow-up questions on the topic.

Earlier this week, Basharat released his own statement on his departure, writing, “My departure clearly has nothing to do with my fighting capabilities. Unfortunately the organization just isn't what it used to be. They're heading in a different direction from what we all grew up loving.â€

Basharat's brother Farid (4-2, 1 NC in the UFC) also parted ways with the UFC this year following a win over Gianni Vazquez.

This isn't the first time White has made cryptic comments regarding a highly touted fighter not being brought back to the UFC. Undefeated flyweight Muhammad Mokaev was allowed to walk in 2024 after a lackluster win over top contender Manel Kape, and when White was asked why Mokaev was let go, he said, “There was so much bad shit that happened behind the scenes.†Mokaev had been involved in several altercations with Kape before their fight at UFC 304.

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MMA

16-0 Farid Basharat fires back at Dana White over UFC exit comments

Published

8 hours ago

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October 19, 2026

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16-0 Farid Basharat fires back at Dana White over UFC exit comments
Farid
Basharat is pushing back against suggestions that he was
difficult to work with.

Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana
White addressed Basharat's departure after
UFC Edmonton. White suggested there were reasons beyond the
unbeaten bantamweight's results for the decision not to renew his
contract, prompting a response.

Farid Basharat denies refusing UFC fights, cites Victor Hugo
weight miss and torn MCL

The UFC did not offer Basharat (16-0) a new contract despite his
7-0 promotional record. After White raised difficulties with
matchmakers and declined fights as possible reasons for such
departures, “Ferocious†reiterated that he had never turned down an
opponent and cited instances in which he competed under unfavorable
circumstances.

Basharat pointed to his victory over Victor Hugo, who weighed 145.5
pounds for their originally scheduled bantamweight bout in 2024 —
9.5 pounds above the non-title limit. He also said he competed with
a torn medial collateral ligament in his knee during his
Dana White's Contender Series appearance in 2022.

“He kind of alluded to, maybe I was turning down fights, or maybe I
was difficult to deal with,†Basharat said on Instagram. “I
definitely didn't turn nobody down. In fact, we're talking about
the same guy that, in Abu Dhabi, I fought in 2024; my opponent
missed weight by 10 pounds and I still went ahead with the fight…
Still put on a good show and won. In my Contender Series fight, I
had a torn MCL, still went ahead with the fight… These are facts
you can ask your UFC staff; you can ask the physio team.â€

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MMA

Dana White won't give reason for undefeated fighter's head-scratching UFC exit

Published

21 hours ago

on

October 18, 2026

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Dana White won't give reason for undefeated fighter's head-scratching UFC exit
Trending:

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Zuffa LLC

UFC's decision to forgo re-signing undefeated bantamweight Farid Basharat has been puzzling to some, and Dana White hasn't given a true explanation.

Basharat is 16-0 in his pro MMA career, and he went 7-0 under the UFC banner. Despite his success, he ultimately wasn't offered a contract renewal with the top MMA promotion. Many have speculated that Basharat's streak of decisions led to his free agency.

During a chat with reporters during the UFC Edmonton post-fight presser, White implied that UFC matchmakers usually have a problem with the fighter in these situations, but he didn't give an actual reason for Basharat's case (h/t MMAMania.com).

“When guys' contracts are up — and this isn't the first time this has happened. Either guys aren't good to deal with, or the matchmakers don't want to deal with them, which could be turning down fights or whatever the reasoning is,†White said. “If you're 16-0 with 7 wins in the UFC and don't get re-signed, there's definitely a reason.â€

“Ferocious†last competed back in June on the preliminary portion of UFC 329. That card was headlined by the short-lived and disappointing return of Conor McGregor, who suffered ACL and meniscus injuries during his rematch against Max Holloway. Basharat defeated John Garza at the event via unanimous decision.

Decision victories had become a trend for Basharat at the end of his UFC run. His last five wins have gone the distance. Despite not having a a finish since Sept. 2023, Basharat isn't considered a boring fighter across the board. Whether or not he ran into problems with UFC matchmakers remains to be seen.

What do you make of UFC's decision to not offer Farid Basharat's a contract renewal? Do you think Basharat simply lacked the entertainment value and marketability? Join in on the conversation by sharing your opinion in the comments below.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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MMA

Movsar Evloev thinks UFC 333 fight with Alexander Volkanovski could be 1st UFC finish: ‘Why not?’

Published

24 hours ago

on

October 18, 2026

By

Movsar Evloev thinks UFC 333 fight with Alexander Volkanovski could be 1st UFC finish: ‘Why not?’

Movsar Evloev knows fans want to see him win a fight without the scorecards. He could make it happen against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 333.

This Saturday in Abu Dhabi, the undefeated Evloev makes the walk to the octagon for the biggest fight of his life as he challenges Volkanovski for the UFC featherweight title. Evloev is 20-0 as a pro, 10-0 since making his UFC debut in 2019, so it's fair to say he's earned his shot the hard way. One reason why it may have taken so long for the matchmakers to come around on Evloev is his lack of finishes, as he's yet to score a knockout or submission in the promotion.

UFC 333 would be the perfect time for his first.

“Maybe my fighting style [made it take longer than I expected], but still the most important thing is still winning the fight,†Evloev told MMA Fighting's José Youngs. “Now, I feel like I'm getting better and I've got more abilities to finish the fights and we were working on that since I won my last fight. Even before, it was always fun to finish opponents, but I had tough opponents. None of them is easy to finish. Even just to win them is already a big deal, right?

“Now, maybe my first finish in my first title fight, why not? I have everything to do that.â€

Evloev has also been plagued by bouts of inactivity, but when fight night rolls around, he's delivered, scoring victories over numerous ranked opponents. His past four wins have come against Lerone Murphy, Aljamain Sterling, Arnold Allen, and Diego Lopes, the latter of whom went on to leapfrog Evloev and meet Volkanovski in a pair of title fights.

That success has kept Evloev in the UFC's good graces, even without a standout highlight reel, which can't be said for some notable departures in the past few years, including the undefeated Farid Basharat, who was recently allowed to walk despite a 16-0 record. Evloev was asked for his thoughts on quality fighters not being kept on the roster, and he believes winning still matters.

“I have zero finishes in the UFC, but I'm still in UFC and I'm fighting for the title, so that means that not just finishes is important,†Evloev said. “To show a good fight is also important. Even if you have no finishes, you can show good fight, exciting fight. You can show the beauty of wrestling and there is not just fans of MMA who just wait for blood and something crazy, there are so many good fans who know MMA and they understand and maybe because of them I'm still in the UFC.â€

Volkanovski has suggested Evloev's wrestling won't be enough to beat him, and that the challenger will eventually have to throw down if he hopes to dethrone the two-time champion. For now, Evloev isn't taking the bait, and he's planning to stay the course with tactics that have paid major dividends so far.

Tactics that might just lead to him taking Volkanovski out inside the distance anyway.

“I have a responsibility,†Evloev said. “My whole republic, my whole country waiting for me to bring that title. OK, so for me, all of this is more important than just my ego, so maybe I will take the belt and then we will play around, like taking risks or something.â€

“Even if I knock him out, not because my wrestling doesn't work, but because it works very good, so I will make him tired,†he added. “Then, when I feel, OK we can knock him out, then I will try and knock him out. But he's saying he will take my confidence. Nobody can.â€

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