Farid BasharatW vs. John Garza
UFC 329 · July 11, 2026 · T-Mobile Arena · Early Prelims 5:00 PM ET
The brief
- The result
- Farid Basharat by Decision (unanimous), R3
- What kind of fight
- One-sided grappling clinic (on paper)
- Finish likelihood
- High
- The line
- No line posted yet
- The stakes
- Bantamweight · Early Prelims
The result
Farid Basharat def. John Garza — Decision (unanimous), R3 5:00
Basharat won clearly, but not the way the 'one-sided grappling clinic' read predicted.
Garza, a short-notice debutant, showed sharp takedown defense and solid boxing to all levels, forcing Basharat to win with varied striking and pressure over the first two rounds before a closer third.
The 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 cards move Basharat to 16-0 — and Garza left with far more respect than a six-days'-notice underdog usually earns.
The breakdown below was written before the fight.
The read
Basharat should get this fight to the mat at will, and Garza's cardio on six days' notice becomes the story by round two.
Expect control, ground strikes, and a submission — likely a rear-naked choke — somewhere in the middle rounds.
Garza's puncher's chance is real for exactly as long as he's standing.
The matchup
On paper the widest mismatch on the card: an undefeated, ranked-adjacent grappler with six UFC wins against a regional prospect who took the fight on six days' notice.
Garza has legitimate power and youth, but Basharat's entire style — takedowns, control, zero unnecessary risks — is built to erase exactly those advantages.
Short-notice debuts against elite grapplers historically end one way.
Tale of the tape
| 15-0 | Record | 6-1 |
| 28 | Age | 23 |
| 5'8" | Height | 5'8" |
| 71" | Reach | — |
| Orthodox | Stance | Orthodox |
| Afghanistan | Country | United States |
| American Top Team | Team | AzTex MMA (Dallas) |
The numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
The fighters
Farid Basharat 15-0
“Ferocious”
Afghan-born, England-raised (his brother Javid is also a UFC bantamweight), undefeated at 15-0 with a control-first grappling game — six submissions, three-plus takedowns per fifteen minutes, and a 62% striking defense that keeps him out of trouble. 6-0 in the UFC and knocking on the rankings.
Has never lost.
- WJean Matsumoto · Decision (split)UFC Fight Night · February 7, 2026
- WChris Gutierrez · Decision (unanimous)UFC 320 · October 4, 2025
- WVictor Hugo · Decision (unanimous)UFC 308 · October 26, 2024
John Garza 6-1
“Mowgli”
A 23-year-old Dallas prospect off the Texas regional circuit, 4-0 in Fury FC and riding a five-fight win streak. Taking his UFC debut against an undefeated top-tier grappler on roughly six days' notice — the definition of a tough ask.
- WJosh Walker · KO/TKO, R2Fury FC 114 · January 30, 2026
- WMarcelo Reyes · KO/TKO, R1Fury Challenger Series 15 · November 21, 2025
- WKevin Rosas · Decision (unanimous)Fury FC 104 · May 25, 2025