Javid Basharat

Javid Basharat, known as 'The Snow Leopard', is an Afghan-born English bantamweight who arrived in the UK as a refugee at age five and began his combat sports journey at 13, inspired by Afghanistan's Olympic taekwondo hero Rohullah Nikpai. He built an undefeated amateur record and a dominant run on the English regional circuit, claiming the CON Bantamweight Championship in 2018 and successfully defending it. In October 2021, he earned his UFC contract through Dana White's Contender Series by submitting Oron Kahlon with a guillotine choke, despite controversy when his opponent called him a 'terrorist' at the weigh-ins.

Basharat's UFC debut trilogy opened with three straight unanimous decisions over Trevin Jones, Tony Gravely, and Mateus Mendonça, establishing him as a composed, technical operator at the sport's highest level. His record of 5 knockout finishes and 6 submission finishes (including rear-naked chokes, Brabo chokes, guillotines, and a heel hook) demonstrates genuine finishing ability across the grappling spectrum. However, his momentum stalled after a no-contest against Victor Henry in October 2023, followed by unanimous decision losses to ranked contender Aiemann Zahabi and former ranked veteran Ricky Simon. He bounced back with a decision win over short-notice replacement Gianni Vazquez in February 2026, but the promotion did not renew his contract.

Basharat fights with a technical, distance-based striking approach, landing significant strikes at a high volume (5.18 per minute) while maintaining excellent defensive awareness. His takedown defense sits at 84 percent, and he controls fights through precision rather than overwhelming power. At 30 years old, he leaves the UFC with his head held high, as he stated in his release announcement, proud of how he represented himself professionally and with discipline throughout his time in the organization. His eight first-round finishes and 15-2 record outside the UFC underscore his quality as a fighter, even if his recent promotion tenure did not produce the championship momentum needed to keep him on the roster.