Farid Basharat has doubled down on his criticism of the UFC brass after being denied a new deal despite being undefeated.
Basharat touts a pro MMA record of 16-0, and seven of those wins were under the UFC banner. He last competed on the UFC 329 prelims, and he defeated John Garza for his fifth straight decision. Some believe Basharat’s lack of finishes led to the UFC higher-ups moving on from him.
UFC CEO Dana White was asked about the decision to not retain Basharat. White responded by saying that these situations usually boil down to the UFC matchmakers having an issue with the fighter.
The unbeaten bantamweight took to social media to release a new video with some critiques of UFC’s current business model (via MMAMania).
“I think the company, the UFC, is manufacturing a fan base that doesn’t appreciate good quality fighting,” Basharat said. “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.”
Basharat went as far as to say UFC is risking diluting the sport of MMA by focusing solely on entertainment value over athletic performances.
“In my opinion, you just can’t build a sport off that,” he continued. “Because you might do well for a couple of years ratings wise, but sooner or later it’s going to de-legitimize the sport, and the fans are going to be left wanting high-quality fights.”
Where Basharat goes from here will be interesting to keep tabs on. With the news of his promotional exit, Basharat’s name is likely more popular than it was when he was on the UFC roster. Whether or not it’ll lead to lucrative deals from other promoters will be revealing, and it may not take long to find out what Basharat’s next move will be.
Do you agree with Farid Basharat’s take on UFC’s business model these days, or do you feel the undefeated fighter was simply too boring to keep on the roster? Sound off in the comments below.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
