The UFC has tapped up-and-coming regional fighter John Garza to face No. 10 ranked Farid Basharat at UFC 329 after Basharat’s original opponent Ethyn Ewing was forced to withdraw from the card.
News of the new bantamweight matchup was confirmed last night (Sun. July 5th) by Marcel Dorff with less than a week to go before the fight.
John “Mowgli” Garza is 6-1 with a 7-3 amateur record. He’s spent most of his pro career with Fury FC where he went 4-0 and was set to fight for the Fury bantamweight belt
in August before being called up to the big leagues. He’s a dynamic and exciting striker with a crowd-pleasing style. Whether he’s ready for the UFC remains to be seen, and he’ll have a tough first go in the organization against Basharat.
Basharat is a perfect 15-0 and 6-0 in the UFC, although he hasn’t gained much attention for himself due to all his fights in the UFC being decisions. His chain-wrestling and fight IQ make him an extremely tough opponent for anyone, and that’s reflected in his rank. Basharat was one of several fighters to take a big jump up when the UFC retooled its rankings. He went from No. 15 on the media panel rankings to No. 10 at bantamweight under the new Meta UFC rankings.
It seems crazy to throw an inexperienced 23 year old like Garza in with a six-fight veteran, but in a way this is an appropriate replacement for Basharat’s original opponent Ethyn Ewin. Ewin made a name for himself by coming in and beating tough and undefeated prospects. Now Garza has a chance to do the same. And while some online are writing him off due to his lanky physique, others note that Garza has great boxing and finishing skills.
Those looking for a live dog with tantalizing lines should enjoy this addition to UFC 329. But remember: Basharat will be a big favorite for a reason, and Garza has never faced anyone of this caliber before.
