Farid Basharat's perfect record wasn't enough to land a new UFC deal. The bantamweight and the promotion parted ways after his contract expired, leaving him without a home despite never losing a fight.
Basharat didn't mince words about the split. He told ESPN that the UFC "just isn't what it used to be," signaling frustration with how the organization values and compensates its fighters. An undefeated record should carry weight in contract negotiations. It doesn't anymore, apparently.
This is a familiar story in MMA right now. The UFC has squeezed fighter pay while expanding its roster and relying on volume over star power. Prospects who rack up wins find themselves undervalued at negotiation time. The leverage has shifted entirely toward the promotion.
Basharat now enters free agency. Other promotions will circle him. Bellator, PFL, and overseas organizations all pay competitive money for proven talent. The UFC's loss could be somebody else's gain.
It's a striking reminder that even going undefeated doesn't guarantee security in this sport anymore. The organization that built its brand on crowning champions has made it harder for rising fighters to reach that level on its stage.