Farid Basharat defeats John Garza by unanimous decision
Basharat vs Garza — Bantamweight · UFC 329
What happened
The result, the defining moments, and what the verdict means.
Basharat controlled with low kicks, takedowns and top position.
Garza defended several later takedowns and took the final round.
Basharat's control through the first two rounds carried the decision.
- Secondary fallback play-by-play reportSherdog · UFC 329 play-by-play
Watch
More from this fight.
More videos · 8 clips
Signature moments
Signature moments
Who Called It?
How the analysts' picks held up once the cage door closed.
Analyst picks: AJ called it; Mike Finch called it; The MMA Guru perfect call; Bedtime MMA perfect call; MMA JOEY called it; TheWeasle called it; We Want Picks called it; MMAPREDICTIONGURU perfect call; MMA Gambling Podcast called it; Bookie Beatdown called it.
10 of 10 nailed it · 3 nailed the finish ★.
The experts above are a lens, not credentials we conferred — analyst, fighter or betting desk.
Full analyst picks ↓
AJ Betting deskAnalyst called 52 of 71 AJ: predicted Basharat · Sub. Actual Basharat · Dec. Result: Hit.
Calls the short-notice UFC debut a tall task for Garza. He likes Garza's pressure and right hand, but sees Basharat as the seasoned, well-rounded UFC fighter with enough grappling layers to take over and finish by submission.
“I'll go Farid by submission finish.”
Track record: winner called in 52 of 71 resolved picks, 25 a perfect call.
Mike Finch Betting deskAnalyst called 23 of 36 Mike Finch: predicted Basharat · to win. Actual Basharat · Dec. Result: Hit.
Frames Basharat as close to the safest side on the card because Garza is stepping up on short notice against a proven UFC bantamweight. He expects Basharat to be better anywhere, with inside-the-distance and back-take choke paths live, but does not lock a single method.
“Basharat all day.”
Track record: winner called in 23 of 36 resolved picks, 9 a perfect call.
The MMA Guru Analyst called 44 of 65 The MMA Guru: predicted Basharat · Decision. Actual Basharat · Dec. Result: Perfect call.
Explicitly accounts for Garza stepping in on six days' notice. He expects Garza's size and danger to make it competitive, but sees Basharat's deeper UFC experience and MMA grappling as enough to win the final two rounds on the cards.
“Getting this one done by a competitive decision where he wins the final two rounds.”
Track record: winner called in 44 of 65 resolved picks, 16 a perfect call.
Bedtime MMA Analyst called 67 of 99 Bedtime MMA: predicted Basharat · Decision. Actual Basharat · Dec. Result: Perfect call.
Acknowledges Garza's short-notice boxing upside and says Garza may have real moments pressuring Basharat. He still picks Basharat by a close 29-28 because the mobility, stance switching, kick setups, experience and fight IQ should carry enough rounds.
“I'm going to go with Fared Bash to win this one.”
Track record: winner called in 67 of 99 resolved picks, 28 a perfect call.
MMA JOEY Analyst called 18 of 27 MMA JOEY: predicted Basharat · Sub · R2. Actual Basharat · Dec. Result: Hit.
Notes that Garza is stepping in on short notice from Fury FC and calls the original Ethyn Ewing matchup tougher. He sees Basharat as the more polished, well-rounded fighter with the takedowns and jiu-jitsu to finally find a finish.
“I'll say second round arm triangle for Farad Basherat.”
Track record: winner called in 18 of 27 resolved picks, 3 a perfect call.
TheWeasle Analyst called 34 of 48 TheWeasle: predicted Basharat · Sub · R2. Actual Basharat · Dec. Result: Hit.
Explicitly notes the opponent change from Ethan Ewing to John Garza and treats Garza as a short-notice UFC debutant with real striking but a clear skill gap. He expects Basharat to out-jab him, blend wrestling with the striking, then use the grappling edge for a second-round rear-naked choke.
“Using his grappling to win the fight.”
Track record: winner called in 34 of 48 resolved picks, 14 a perfect call.
We Want Picks Betting desk called 55 of 87 We Want Picks: predicted Basharat · to win. Actual Basharat · Dec. Result: Hit.
They respect John Garza's clean boxing and short-notice danger, but see Basharat as the safer side because he is unlikely to trade recklessly in the pocket. The grappling and overall MMA layer are framed as too much too soon for Garza.
“He's just miles ahead.”
Track record: winner called in 55 of 87 resolved picks.
MMAPREDICTIONGURU AnalystBetting desk called 15 of 25 MMAPREDICTIONGURU: predicted Basharat · Decision. Actual Basharat · Dec. Result: Perfect call.
Rates Garza as UFC level and dangerous with pressure boxing, but sees Basharat as too experienced, more diverse and harder to trap into a brawl. He expects Basharat's volume, wrestling and gas tank to control enough of the fight for a clear decision.
Track record: winner called in 15 of 25 resolved picks, 7 a perfect call.
MMA Gambling Podcast Betting deskAnalyst track record building — 2 resolved MMA Gambling Podcast: predicted Basharat · to win. Actual Basharat · Dec. Result: Hit.
Both hosts pick Basharat while acknowledging Garza's regional boxing and body work. Their read is that Basharat can avoid a pocket brawl, pot-shot from range, mix in takedowns and keep Garza from forcing the kind of reckless exchange he needs.
“Basharat will win. I'm picking him as well.”
Track record builds as we verify their past calls.
Bookie Beatdown Betting deskAnalyst called 14 of 24 Bookie Beatdown: predicted Basharat · to win. Actual Basharat · Dec. Result: Hit.
They acknowledge Garza's pressure, crowd-friendly style, youth and short-notice upside, but frame the UFC debut as too much too soon. Their read is that Basharat can manage close rounds with footwork, takedowns and clinch control, while Garza's wrestling defense and durability remain the major concerns.
Track record: winner called in 14 of 24 resolved picks, 1 a perfect call.
Archive Pre-fight material — kept for transparency.
- 15-0-0
- Record
- 6-1-0
- 5-0 last 5
- Recent formRecent formWin–loss record over the fighter’s last five bouts, newest first, as carried in their UFC/FightMetric career stats.
- 5-0 last 5
- 180 cm
- Reach
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- Orthodox
- StanceStanceWhich side a fighter leads from — a striking term, not a religious one. Orthodox: right-handed, left foot and hand forward (the common default). Southpaw: the mirror image, right side forward (usually a left-hander). Switch: changes between the two during a fight.
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- Sig. strikes landed / minStrikes / minSignificant strikes landed per minuteAverage number of significant strikes a fighter lands for every minute of fight time — a read on striking output and pace. From UFC/FightMetric career stats.
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- Sig. strikes absorbed / minAbsorbed / minSignificant strikes absorbed per minuteAverage number of significant strikes a fighter takes for every minute of fight time. Lower is better — it means they get hit less often. From UFC/FightMetric career stats.
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- Striking defenseStrike def.Striking defenseThe percentage of opponents’ significant strikes that do not land — strikes slipped, blocked or evaded. Higher is better. Not the same as striking accuracy, which counts your own strikes that land. From UFC/FightMetric.
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- Takedown defenseTD def.Takedown defenseThe percentage of opponents’ takedown attempts that are stuffed. Higher means harder to put on the mat. From UFC/FightMetric.
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- Avg. fight timeAvg. timeAverage fight timeThe mean length of the fighter’s bouts (minutes:seconds) — a rough read on whether they tend to finish early or go the distance. From UFC/FightMetric.
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- England
- Nationality
- United States
- Xtreme Couture
- Team
- AzTex MMA
Career stats per UFC.com; recent form is each fighter's last five bouts. Numbers reflect records coming into fight night. Bars compare each stat on a fixed scale; the “Edge” marker flags the leading corner where the gap is meaningful. The snapshot plots five career rates — output, striking defense, durability (strikes absorbed, inverted), takedown defense and finish rate — each normalised on its own scale.
Pre-fight analysis — how we saw it going in
Case for Basharat
Basharat is the side for anyone searching this page to understand whether the unbeaten record is real UFC substance or just a tidy number. The answer so far is substance: he has already gone 15 minutes with Jean Matsumoto, Chris Gutierrez, Victor Hugo and Taylor Lapilus without losing his shape, and his style is built to drain volatility out of fights before opponents can cash in on one big moment. Against a short-notice debutant, that matters more than highlight value. If Basharat owns the range, forces Garza to reset and keeps the scrambles short enough to reach top position on his terms, the fight looks exactly like the composed decision path that has carried him this far.
Case for Garza
Garza gives the matchup its late-replacement upset angle because he arrives with less exposed UFC tape and real regional momentum. The verified reporting around the switch has him at 6-1, on a five-fight winning streak, and coming off a second-round knockout in Fury FC before being pulled into the Basharat fight on short notice. That kind of assignment is difficult, but it also makes the fight less scripted than the original Ewing matchup. If Garza can force early open-space exchanges before Basharat settles the range and wrestling layers, the underdog has the kind of punch-driven uncertainty that short-notice replacements are supposed to bring.
What We Were Watching For
- Basharat's first clean back-take or mat return — those are the moments that usually remove the fight's randomness.
- Garza's first two minutes — the late replacement needs to make Basharat respect his power before the control game settles.
- How Garza handles the first defended takedown — surviving phase one is not enough if Basharat keeps chaining control.
- The late rounds if the fight is still close — Basharat often wins there on discipline, while Garza is entering his first UFC fight on short notice.
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