Farid Basharat Breaks Silence on UFC Release: 'The Organization Isn't What It Used to Be'

Farid Basharat has broken his silence. The undefeated bantamweight released a statement on Instagram after the UFC let him go, and he did not hold back.

"Unfortunately the organisation just isn't what it used to be," Basharat wrote.

The 29-year-old Afghan fighter left the UFC with a spotless 7-0 record inside the Octagon and a 16-0 mark overall. He held the fourth-longest active win streak in the entire promotion and the longest in the bantamweight division at the time of his release. He was ranked 13th in the division.

None of that was enough.

Basharat made it clear that his departure had nothing to do with declining fights or asking for too much.

"I want to clarify that since my last fight I was never offered a contract or an opponent," he wrote. "I've certainly never declined a fight during my whole tenure."

That detail stings. The UFC did not just cut a winning fighter. According to Basharat, they never even tried to book him again after his most recent appearance at UFC 329 in July.

"I feel I'm the best bantamweight in the world," Basharat wrote. "I always turned up and fought regardless of injuries and weight deficits. But my departure clearly has nothing to do with my fighting capabilities."

The likely issue is style. Of Basharat's seven UFC wins, six came by decision. In a promotion that increasingly rewards finishes over victories, technical dominance on the scorecards does not carry the weight it once did.

His brother Javid Basharat was also cut by the UFC and now competes for PFL. Farid could follow the same path, though several promotions are expected to pursue a fighter with his unblemished record.

"I'm still young, the best is yet to come inshaAllah," he wrote.