UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2
Farid Basharat defeats John Garza by unanimous decision
Round 3 · 5:00
Basharat vs Garza — Bantamweight · UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2
Predictions summary
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
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.
Records & career stats
- 4.46 5.47
- 61% 36%
- 3.24 5.73
- 55% 77%
- 44% 67%
- 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
- England
- Nationality
- United States
- 28
- Age
- 23
- 180 cm
- Reach
- —
- 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.
- —
- 13:39
- 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.
- 15:00
- American Top Team
- Team
- AzTex MMA
Career stats per UFC.com; recent form is each fighter's last five bouts. Record is as of fight night; career stats, recent form and win totals are the latest on file and may include this fight. 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.
Videos
Outcome footage, post-fight coverage, and the pre-fight lead-up.
Before the fight (2)
Comments
Who Called It?
How the analysts' picks held up once the cage door closed.
Performance filters use calls resolved before this event.
Current pick evidence
Picked: Farid Basharat · Dec
Fight result: Farid Basharat · Decision
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.”
Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology
- Winner Accuracy 70.8% 121 50
- Method Accuracy 62.9% 56 33
- Round Accuracy 38.5% 10 16
- Underdog Accuracy 48.5% 16 17
Current pick evidence
Picked: Farid Basharat · Sub · Round 2
Fight result: Farid Basharat · Decision
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.
“down again and submits him with a rear naked choke. So, I'm going to go with Far Basharat, just being more wellrounded and using his grappling to win the fight.”
Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology
- Winner Accuracy 70.6% 115 48
- Method Accuracy 61.8% 47 29
- Round Accuracy 36.5% 19 33
- Underdog Accuracy 52.9% 9 8
Current pick evidence
Picked: Farid Basharat · Sub
Fight result: Farid Basharat · Decision
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.”
Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology
- Winner Accuracy 69.6% 165 72
- Method Accuracy 58.4% 59 42
- Round Accuracy 75.0% 6 2
- Underdog Accuracy 46.2% 12 14
Current pick evidence
Picked: Farid Basharat · Sub · Round 2
Fight result: Farid Basharat · Decision
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.
“Farad Basherat. I'll say arm triangle. I'll say second round arm triangle for Farad Basherat.”
Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology
- Winner Accuracy 66.4% 71 36
- Method Accuracy 46.2% 24 28
- Round Accuracy 24.1% 7 22
- Underdog Accuracy 38.9% 7 11
Current pick evidence
Picked: Farid Basharat · Dec
Fight result: Farid Basharat · Decision
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.”
Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology
- Winner Accuracy 65.9% 203 105
- Method Accuracy 52.8% 57 51
- Round Accuracy 32.4% 12 25
- Underdog Accuracy 47.2% 17 19
Current pick evidence
Picked: Farid Basharat
Fight result: Farid Basharat · Decision
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.
“Fere's going to win this fight”
Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology
- Winner Accuracy 64.1% 93 52
- Method Accuracy 40.0% 2 3
- Round AccuracyNo qualifying picks
- Underdog Accuracy 34.5% 10 19
Current pick evidence
Picked: Farid Basharat · Sub · Round 2
Fight result: Farid Basharat · Decision
Chris Schweppe's MMA Fight Picks UFC 329 preview picks Farid Basharat by second-round submission.
Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology
- Winner Accuracy 50.0% 36 36
- Method Accuracy 52.8% 19 17
- Round Accuracy 33.3% 8 16
- Underdog Accuracy 27.8% 5 13
Analyst picks: Bedtime MMA Hit; TheWeasle Hit; AJ Devito Hit; MMA JOEY Hit; The MMA Guru Hit; We Want Picks Hit; Chris Schweppe Hit.
| Expand row | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bedtime MMA
Bedtime MMA
Current pick evidencePicked: Farid Basharat · Dec Fight result: Farid Basharat · Decision 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.” Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology
| Historic market Favourite call, market price 85.5%. Basharat · Dec | Basharat · Dec R3 | Hit | Hit | Not called | |
| 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 121 of 171 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
TheWeasle
TheWeasle
Current pick evidencePicked: Farid Basharat · Sub · Round 2 Fight result: Farid Basharat · Decision 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. “down again and submits him with a rear naked choke. So, I'm going to go with Far Basharat, just being more wellrounded and using his grappling to win the fight.” Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology
| Historic market Favourite call, market price 85.5%. Basharat · Sub · R2 | Basharat · Dec R3 | Hit | Miss | Miss | |
| 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. “down again and submits him with a rear naked choke. So, I'm going to go with Far Basharat, just being more wellrounded and using his grappling to win the fight.” Track record: winner called in 115 of 163 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
AJ Devito
AJ Devito
Current pick evidencePicked: Farid Basharat · Sub Fight result: Farid Basharat · Decision 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.” Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology
| Historic market Favourite call, market price 85.5%. Basharat · Sub | Basharat · Dec R3 | Hit | Miss | Not called | |
| 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 165 of 237 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
MMA JOEY
MMA JOEY
Current pick evidencePicked: Farid Basharat · Sub · Round 2 Fight result: Farid Basharat · Decision 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. “Farad Basherat. I'll say arm triangle. I'll say second round arm triangle for Farad Basherat.” Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology
| Historic market Favourite call, market price 85.5%. Basharat · Sub · R2 | Basharat · Dec R3 | Hit | Miss | Miss | |
| 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. “Farad Basherat. I'll say arm triangle. I'll say second round arm triangle for Farad Basherat.” Track record: winner called in 71 of 107 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
The MMA Guru
The MMA Guru
Current pick evidencePicked: Farid Basharat · Dec Fight result: Farid Basharat · Decision 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.” Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology
| Historic market Favourite call, market price 85.5%. Basharat · Dec | Basharat · Dec R3 | Hit | Hit | Not called | |
| 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 203 of 308 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
We Want Picks
We Want Picks
Current pick evidencePicked: Farid Basharat Fight result: Farid Basharat · Decision 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. “Fere's going to win this fight” Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology
| Historic market Favourite call, market price 85.5%. Basharat · to win | Basharat · Dec R3 | Hit | Not called | Not called | |
| 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. “Fere's going to win this fight” Track record: winner called in 93 of 145 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
Chris Schweppe
Chris Schweppe
Current pick evidencePicked: Farid Basharat · Sub · Round 2 Fight result: Farid Basharat · Decision Chris Schweppe's MMA Fight Picks UFC 329 preview picks Farid Basharat by second-round submission. Analyst track record Track record countsWinner counts resolved calls. Method and Round count only after a correct winner call. Underdog counts picks for a strict underdog in frozen pre-fight odds.Methodology
| Historic market Favourite call, market price 85.5%. Basharat · Sub · R2 | Basharat · Dec R3 | Hit | Miss | Miss | |
| Chris Schweppe's MMA Fight Picks UFC 329 preview picks Farid Basharat by second-round submission. Track record: winner called in 36 of 72 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
7 of 7 nailed it.
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