Farid Basharat's time in the UFC unexpectedly has come to an end.
Undefeated Basharat extended his octagon record to 7-0 after defeating John Garza by unanimous decision at UFC 329 in July. The 29-year-old, who holds the longest active winning streak at bantamweight, told MMA Junkie shortly after the win that he'd been actively trying to get a new deal with the UFC but to no avail.
Now, Basharat (16-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) will walk just like his brother Javid, who also didn't get a new deal after fighting out his contract with a win in February.
Basharat posted on Instagram to express his disappointment with the UFC, accusing the promotion of no longer rewarding winning.
"The news is confirmed, I am no longer with the UFC," Basharat wrote. "I’ve had an
incredibly successful time in the organization. I’m proud and happy with what I’ve accomplished inside the Octagon. I leave with a stainless record. Holding the longest active win streak in my weight division and the fourth longest in the entire UFC. I feel I’m the best bantamweight in the world. ...
But 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. I want to clarify that since my last fight I was never offered a contract or an opponent. I waited but it never came. I’ve certainly never declined a fight during my whole tenure."
Basharat isn't the only one to experience a surprising release. Top-10 ranked UFC middleweight Michael Page (26-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) was not offered a new contract after extending his winning streak to four with a win over Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Fight Night 287 in September in Paris.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Undefeated Farid Basharat puts UFC on blast after unexpected release
