For Farid Basharat, the undefeated bantamweight prospect, life’s hardest rounds were fought long before the UFC lights ever found him. Born in Afghanistan and raised in England as a refugee, his story is rooted in survival. Now, at 27, he’s flipping the script. Instead of just fighting for wins, he’s fighting for kids who remind him of where he came from.

On October 4, Basharat will face Chris Gutierrez at UFC 320, and he has tied his fight preparations to a cause close to his heart: raising money to build a school for over 100 orphans in Afghanistan.

A proud moment for Afghan MMA

The announcement first made waves online when @RealKevinK, an MMA content creator and journalist, shared on X, “Farid Basharat is Teaming up with “Future4Orphans” to Raise Money for a Brand New School for Orphans in Afghanistan.”

As per a post on the ‘Future4Orphans’ Instagram page, it was revealed, “We’re proud to welcome ‘Ferocious’ Farid Basharat as the newest Future4Orphans Ambassador!” The post highlighted the Afghan-born fighter’s accomplishments, such as his 13-0 undefeated record, with a 4-0 run in the UFC, and further stated, “Beyond the cage, Farid is fighting for something even bigger: helping build a brand-new school for orphaned children in Afghanistan. His journey from struggle to success makes him the perfect role model to inspire hope, strength, and a brighter future for these kids.”

It was a reminder that while most fighters promote fights, Farid Basharat is promoting futures. So, how did this begin? In an interview shared on Instagram by ‘FightBananasOfficial’, Basharat explained, “It started out as a family, a friend of mine, him and his family, they started an orphanage in Afghanistan. They’ve done an amazing job. They started with, I believe a couple of years ago, its four orphans and now it’s over 100. So they’re doing an amazing job already.”

The growth has been staggering. And now the mission is expanding again. The next step is a school, one that will give these kids more than shelter; it will give them a future.

As such, the undefeated UFC bantamweight continued, “I’m hoping to raise as much money as I can through this camp and this fight and all the proceeds and the money will of course go to building the school which I’m very happy with, I’m very proud because this is something I’ve had on my mind, it’s something I wanted to do for the longest, you know, since I was young.” Now, all eyes turn to his upcoming clash at UFC 320, which has more than just a win for him on the line!

Farid Basharat’s UFC 320 clash against Chris Gutierrez is tied to the future of his charitable endeavor

The Las Vegas card on October 4 is loaded. Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira headline in a light heavyweight title rematch, while Merab Dvalishvili battles Cory Sandhagen for the bantamweight crown. But buried within the chaos of championship gold lies a matchup that could hold much significance for the future of the 135-pound division: Farid Basharat vs. Chris Gutierrez.

Basharat, entering unbeaten at 13-0 (4-0 UFC) and a product of Dana White’s Contender Series, has quickly carved out a reputation as one of the most disciplined prospects in the division. His resume includes decision wins over Da’Mon Blackshear, Taylor Lapilus, and Victor Hugo, along with a slick first-round submission against Kleydson Rodrigues. UFC 320 will mark his first appearance in 2025, and with his charitable mission tied to the camp, the stakes feel heavier than ever.

Across from him stands Chris Gutierrez (22-5-2 MMA, 10-3-1 UFC), a fighter who knows the grind of survival in the Octagon. After dropping his UFC debut, he stitched together an impressive unbeaten streak before losing to Pedro Munhoz in 2023. Now, he comes into this contest riding back-to-back wins over Quang Le and John Castaneda.

Yet win or lose, Farid Basharat’s mission carries on; it’s an opportunity to turn punches and perseverance into classrooms and books for children who have little else. The fight is temporary, but the school he’s helping to build in Afghanistan could stand for generations.