Basharat Rejects White's Claims On UFC Exit

Farid Basharat pushed back against Dana White's explanation for why the UFC let him walk after his contract expired.

White told reporters at the UFC Edmonton post-fight press conference that when an undefeated ranked fighter does not get re-signed, "there's definitely a reason," per MMA Fighting. He suggested that in past cases the issue was fighters being hard to deal with or turning down bouts.

Basharat Says He Never Turned Down A Fight

Basharat addressed White's comments in a video posted Sunday. He said he never refused an opponent and pointed to his 2024 Abu Dhabi fight, where his rival missed weight by 10 pounds — reportedly the largest disparity in UFC history — and Basharat still competed. He also noted that he fought on the Contender Series with a torn elbow ligament, according to MMA Mania.

"Ask anybody about me, there was no issues with me in any way, shape, or form," Basharat said in the video. He added that he beat seven straight opponents in the UFC and rocked or hurt each of his last three.

In a separate video recorded before White's press conference, Basharat said the UFC went silent for three months after his July victory at UFC 329. He believes the promotion now favors brawlers over technical fighters. White testified in court last year that he no longer handles fighter negotiations directly.

Basharat compiled a 7-0 UFC record with six decisions and was ranked in the top 10 at bantamweight when the promotion declined to renew his deal in October.

Photo by Diego Corona on Unsplash

Original reporting:

• mmafighting.com — Morning Report | Farid Basharat responds to Dana White saying there’s ‘a reason’ he wasn’t re-signed to the UFC | MMA Fighting
• mmamania.com — Dana White on controversial UFC release: ‘There’s definitely a reason’ | MMA Mania