With the UFC often putting a premium on highlight-reel knockouts and brutal finishes, Farid Basharat believes Dana White and the promotion are losing sight of what makes MMA truly competitive. Just days after parting ways with the promotion, ‘Ferocious’ is calling out the UFC for putting violence and quick knockouts ahead of elite-level competition.

And he’s not exactly coming from a position of weakness; Basharat went a perfect 7-0 inside the Octagon and 16-0 as a pro, yet still found himself on the outside looking in.

The 29-year-old reckons the Dana White-led promotion is training fans to crave bloodshed and highlight-reel finishes instead of appreciating the technical side of MMA and watching the best go up against the best.

“I think the company, the UFC, is manufacturing a fan base that doesn’t appreciate good-quality fighting,” Basharat said in a recent interview. “Even if it’s a mismatch, even if it’s a low-level fight, as long as there’s blood, as long as it’s a first-round finish, we’re happy.

“And in my opinion, you just can’t build a sport off that because you might do well for a couple of years ratings-wise, but sooner or later it’s going to delegitimize the sport, and the fans are going to be left wanting high-quality fights.”

For Farid Basharat, MMA is about seeing the best go to war with the best, not watching mismatches turn into viral highlight reels.

“And that’s what I find entertaining,” he continued. “Maybe I’m too much of a fight nerd, but when I see the best against the best, for me, that’s what’s entertaining. I don’t want to see no mismatches or low-level guys going toe-to-toe.”

‘Ferocious’ acknowledged the UFC’s financial success despite his criticism. The promotion’s reported seven-year, $7.7 billion deal with Paramount underscores its commercial strength. But financial success, he suggested, doesn’t necessarily mean the company is prioritizing the right things for the sport.

“But the UFC is guaranteed 7.7 billion over the next seven years, so they’re clearly great at what they’re doing. So what do I know?” he added.

Farid Basharat’s criticism comes after the UFC decided not to renew his contract, despite his unbeaten record in the promotion. The bantamweight wrapped up his deal with a unanimous decision win over John Garza at UFC 329 in July, taking his Octagon record to a spotless 7-0.

After earning his UFC shot through Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022, the 29-year-old climbed into the bantamweight rankings without taking a single professional defeat. And yet, he’s out. Naturally, fans are scratching their heads over how an undefeated fighter with that kind of resume ends up getting shown the door.

Basharat isn’t the only fighter whose UFC exit has raised eyebrows. Michael ‘Venom’ Page has also moved on from the promotion after not getting his contract renewed despite a strong run in the Dana White-led promotion, with the Briton now signing with Misfits Boxing.

Well, Dana White has finally addressed the issue at the UFC Edmonton post-fight press conference, explaining that an unbeaten record alone does not guarantee a fighter a place on the roster.

Dana White hints at the reason behind Farid Basharat’s exit

Dana White has now weighed in, and his explanation makes it clear that an unbeaten record doesn’t automatically buy you job security in the UFC. Speaking at the UFC Edmonton post-fight press conference, the head honcho was asked about Farid Basharat’s exit and pointed out that there’s more to keeping a spot on the roster than simply stacking up wins.

“I mean, this isn’t the first time this has happened,” White said. “And 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.”

Dana White stopped short of saying ‘Ferocious’ had turned down fights or fallen out with the matchmakers. He made it clear that several factors could explain why a fighter gets cut but didn’t reveal what actually led to Basharat’s exit.

“If you’re 16-0 with seven wins in the UFC and don’t get re-signed, there’s definitely a reason,” White added.

Farid Basharat, however, isn’t having any of the talk that he somehow brought this on himself. Taking to Instagram on October 15, the undefeated bantamweight hit back at the UFC’s decision and made it clear he doesn’t believe his exit has anything to do with what he brings inside the Octagon.

“I always turned up and fought regardless of injuries and weight deficits,” Basharat wrote. “And I always asked for the toughest opponent to get me closer to the title. But my departure clearly has nothing to do with my fighting capabilities.”

He also pushed back against any suggestion that he’d been turning down fights, insisting he never refused a matchup during his UFC run.

According to the 29-year-old, he fully expected contract talks to follow his unanimous decision win over John Garza but says the UFC never even reached out. And that’s what makes Farid Basharat’s UFC exit such a talking point.

‘Ferocious’ went 7-0 inside the Octagon, never lost a pro fight, and still ended up without a contract. For Basharat, that only adds fuel to his argument that the UFC is getting too caught up in brutal finishes and fan-friendly violence, while the technical side of MMA and genuinely elite matchups risk taking a back seat.