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

---

Henry
Cejudo believes Alex
Pereira needs more heavyweight victories before challenging for
another
Ultimate Fighting Championship title.

Pereira is scheduled to face Sergei
Pavlovich at UFC
335 on Dec. 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. However, he
believes he deserved a title rematch against Ciryl Gane, who will
instead defend his heavyweight championship against Josh Hokit
at UFC
334 on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Henry Cejudo wants Alex Pereira to win two or three heavyweight
fights before another UFC title shot

Cejudo believes Pereira (13-4) received preferential treatment in
reaching title contention in two divisions. “Triple C†pointed to
Pereira's opportunity to fight Gane for the interim heavyweight
championship in his divisional debut at
UFC Freedom 250. He argues that Pereira must now build a
winning record at heavyweight before receiving another title
shot.

“It's a part of him being spoiled too,†Cejudo said on the “Pound 4
Pound†podcast. “Alex, I'm not picking on you… You’ve skipped
lines; you’ve skipped lines long enough. You’ve had enough
opportunities against Ciryl Gane and you lost. Yeah, there were
illegal blows; I do agree with you on that. But man, that jab from
Ciryl Gane wobbled you. We kind of saw where the fight was going.
It was your debut at heavyweight… I feel like you need to win at
least two–three more fights to fight for the title.â€

Cejudo is not the only former two-division champion to challenge
Pereira's comments about the heavyweight title picture. “Poatanâ€
previously alleged that former fighter and commentator Daniel
Cormier promoted Gane vs. Hokit at the UFC's direction. Cormier
denied the accusation.