One of the more surprising developments this past week involved the UFC deciding not to re-sign their unbeaten top 10 contender in Farid Basharat
. Instead of being awarded a high-profile matchup after his seventh straight victory in the UFC, the 29-year-old Afghan contender was let go from the promotion.When asked about parting ways with an undefeated contender, Dana White remained vague on the matter.
“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 at the UFC Edmonton post-fight press conference.
“If you’re 16-0 with 7 wins in the UFC and don’t get re-signed, there’s definitely a reason.”
White pretty much gave a non-answer, but as he noted, this isn’t the first time they’ve moved on from fighters despite good sporting accomplishments and ranking. Wins will bump up pay, butif you’re Michael Page or Basharat, who has six decisions in seven wins, the promotion has repeatedly shown that they’re willing to cut ties with those they peg as “boring” or not worth the investment.
UFC has been prioritizing viral moments and cheap talent to maximize margins, and moves like these show they can tend to act more like an entertainment company instead of a legitimate sports league.
Our own Andrew Richardson also discussed the matter earlier:
“Despite the lack of finishes, I would not declare Basharat a boring or uninteresting fighter. He’s known for his high work rate and smooth transitions between striking and wrestling, which has made for several back-and-forth battles filled with continuous and technical action,” he wrote. “Regardless, the UFC cannot claim to be home of all the best fighters if they’re willfully cutting athletes who — by their own system! — are among the ten best in the world for the weight class.”
Basharat has recently released a statement saying the UFC is now different from “what we all grew up loving.”
