Farid Basharat is ranked among the top bantamweights in the sport with a perfect 15-0 record including six wins in the octagon but he’s still risking everything going into his next fight at UFC 329 in July.
Despite a flawless resume, the 28-year-old fighter is about to compete on the final fight of his current UFC contract and he knows there’s a world where the promotion just opts not to sign him to a new deal. Obviously, Basharat hopes otherwise and he’s just adding that onto the list of reasons he wants to win and then move onto higher ranked competition.
“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 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.”
Fighting out a contract gives the UFC the option to offer a new deal or just cut ties with the athletes so nothing whatsoever is guaranteed for the future.