Earlier this month, Dana White & Co. stunned fans when they chose not to extend the contract of Afghan-English MMA bantamweight Javid Basharat. Surprisingly, the UFC released him even after he secured a win over short-notice replacement Gianni Vasquez at UFC Vegas 113. Now, a few weeks later, the American Top Team fighter has finally spoken out.

“My chapter with the UFC has come to a close,” Javid Basharat wrote on Instagram. “I leave with my head high, my standards intact, and confidence in who I am as a fighter, which is definitely amongst the best. I showed up through every circumstance, and I carry myself with professionalism, discipline, and respect. That won’t change.

“Alhamdulillah, in any case. Thank you to everyone who stands with me. I truly appreciate the support.”

Before his release, Basharat held a 4-2-1 record in his UFC fights. However, he finished none of his fights, which likely prompted the promotion to release him.

Now, with the UFC launching its seven-year partnership with Paramount, the promotion seems to be focusing more on keeping fighters who can speak English or at least connect with Western fans. In recent years, Dana White & Co. has also released other winning and skilled fighters like Muhammad Mokaev and Rinat Fakhretdinov. This year, they cut American Top Team member Javid Basharat, who had trained with fighters such as Bo Nickal and Renato Moicano.

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The UFC has tightened its policies regarding fighters, which, unsurprisingly, some fans find boring. Even commentator Laura Sanko has repeatedly pointed this out. While there is no doubt that ‘The Snow Leopard’ is skilled, the UFC ultimately prioritizes entertainment. Meanwhile, Khabib Nurmagomedov criticized the promotion’s biased treatment.

Khabib Nurmagomedov calls out UFC for biased handling of fighters

The UFC is currently focusing on fighters who can keep fans engaged, trash-talk, sell tickets, and generate hype with finishes and exciting fights, just like the promotion’s Australian sensation, rising lightweight Quillan Salkilld. Meanwhile, the promotion is showing the door to those who don’t fit this mold, regardless of their skill level or resume.

Earlier this year, the UFC made top-ranked Russian-Armenian star Arman Tsarukyan wait for a title shot, partly because the promotion lacks a strong broadcast TV deal in Russia, where most views come from piracy. At the same time, Khabib Nurmagomedov criticized the promotion.

“Feel very bad for U.S. promotions because there are so many hungry fighters coming and they don’t like to talk trash,” Nurmagomedov said at the World Sports Summit. “They just come, smash people, and take money, and U.S. promotions don’t like this; they like trash talking, they like entertainment. I understand in one way it’s business, but at the end of the day, this is sport. You go alone inside the cage, and we’ll see who’s the best in the world.”

Still, not every Russian fighter faces the same challenges. For instance, Islam Makhachev has already shown others how to maintain their place in the UFC by breaking the language barrier and learning English.

Meanwhile, Arman Tsarukyan is actively promoting himself on American soil through collaborations with various platforms. So do you think this approach will help other Russian stars? Drop your opinion below.