On the star-studded UFC 329 card that will mark Conor McGregor‘s return to the promotion on July 11, bantamweight Farid Basharat will be fighting for more than just a win. The undefeated 15-0 fighter was originally scheduled to face Ethyn Ewing on the card. But unfortunately, an undisclosed injury forced Ewing out of the event. While the UFC is scrambling to find a new opponent for the Afghan-English fighter, the bout next week, if it happens, will also mark his last fight under his current contract with Dana White’s promotion. So come fight night, Basharat will be battling for his future as well. As such, the 28-year-old vows to make a statement in an effort to remain with the UFC.

“This is going to be the last fight on my contract, so I’m hoping it does reward me,” Basharat told MMA Fighting. “I’m hoping I go out there and have a good performance, and then, as it stands, because [Sean] O’Malley beat [Aiemann] Zahabi, I do have the longest win streak in the bantamweight division. So I’m hoping to go out there, beat this guy, and get rewarded with a new contract. Hopefully, the next opponent is going to be a step up. That’s the plan.”

As Farid pointed out, he’s currently on a dream run in the UFC. Since making his debut in 2023 in Dana White’s Promotion, the Paktia native hasn’t lost a fight and is currently 6-0 in the 135 lbs division, beating notable opponents like Victor Hugo, Chris Gutierrez, and most recently Jean Matsumoto in February. Because of that streak and a bright future ahead, it makes sense for Basharat to believe the UFC will eventually re-sign him. However, his older brother Javid Basharat‘s case paints a different picture.

For a while, many considered Javid to be one of the dark horses of the bantamweight division because he opened his UFC career with a three-fight winning streak following his Contender Series victory. However, his run turned underwhelming after he lost two of his last four fights, while another ended in a no-contest. Though the 30-year-old bounced back with a win over Gianni Vazquez this year, the UFC ultimately decided not to re-sign him after his contract expired earlier this year.

However, UFC’s decision to part ways with Javid Basharat turned out to be unexpected because his overall 4-2 record in the promotion was still respectable. Addressing that, the undefeated UFC star said it’s all a “gamble” in the end because the UFC decides who to sign. Still, he remains motivated and determined to win a new contract.

“It’s a gamble,” Farid added. “If it were up to me, I’d re-sign straight away because ultimately the UFC is where everybody wants to be. I love being here. I enjoy fighting here on this stage. The company has always been good to me. My goal was always to be the UFC champion, and I feel like I’m on my way. But it happened in a way where they wanted me to have this fight first to see. But listen, here we are. July 11, I go out there on one of the biggest cards of the year and have a great performance. I think I’ll be undeniable to re-sign.”

Though the UFC fighter believes a statement performance could earn him a new contract, the company does have a history of not renewing contracts, even in the case of promising fighters.

Well, that point holds true considering the promotion recently released Daniel Marcos, despite his impressive 18-1 record, by not offering him a new deal. Following his exit, though, the Peruvian fighter was quickly signed by the PFL.

Now, as the UFC 329 star hopes to showcase his skills and earn his next contract, the promotion is yet to find him a new opponent after Ewing pulled out. In that case, his fight could get delayed a little. However, Farid Basharat isn’t the only fighter entering his final UFC bout under an existing contract.

Paulo Costa eyes Mike Perry showdown after his UFC contract reaches its end

Back in 2023, reports emerged that Paulo Costa had signed a staggering $1 million-per-fight deal with the UFC, a figure many champions don’t even receive. Well, that lucrative contract has reportedly reached its final fight in March 2026, and Costa doesn’t appear interested in renewing it.

According to a LowKickMMA report, Costa has only one fight remaining on his contract and is willing to face Mike Perry under the MVP banner following his next fight.

“I still only have one fight left on the contract, and I haven’t renewed yet. It’s not really in my interest to renew right now unless a spectacular offer comes in,” Costa told LowKickMMA. “There’s no point renewing just for the sake of renewing. There’s also the issue of contract duration. A contract doesn’t only expire based on the number of fights, but also by time. If I’m not mistaken, my contract term expired in March. I need to confirm properly because maybe I’m already free even before the next fight.”

Going by Costa’s explanation here, his UFC contract could have included a sunset clause, which allows the deal to expire after a certain period of time. In that case, the Brazilian could become a free agent if he hasn’t already. However, because he entered the UFC light heavyweight division with a statement victory at UFC 327 and currently sits at No. 4 in the rankings, the promotion could very well look to retain him.

The same could apply to Farid Basharat because of his undefeated record. But a lot will depend on what both fighters do in their next bouts.