Farid Basharat wants return on Dec. 16 UFC PPV, but no opponent in mind: ‘I don’t want to cherry-pick’
PARIS – Farid Basharat didn’t get time to call his shot in his in-cage, post-fight interview at UFC Fight Night 226, but he did let the media know what he wants next.
Basharat (11-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), who defeated Kleydson Rodrigues (8-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) by first-round submission on Saturday night, is hoping to get another fight this 2023.
“I want to fight Dec. 16, maybe if it’s (Conor) McGregor vs. (Michael) Chandler,” Basharat said backstage in the post-fight press conference. “If not, it doesn’t matter. I want to fight Dec. 16. I think that’s 15 weeks for now. I feel good for the most part, so I want to stay active, and I want to get back in there. I feel very confident in my ability. Dec. 16, that’s the card I want to fight on.”
As far as a potential opponent, Basharat doesn’t see availability at the top, and there’s no way he’ll call someone out below him.
“No, there isn’t anybody I have in mind,” Basharat said. “The division is in a place where most of the people above me are booked. There are some guys who are below me, but they’re not worth calling out, you know. I don’t want to cherry-pick.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 226.
