Joe Rogan Slams UFC Over Letting Unbeaten Farid Basharat Go

Joe Rogan has come out against the UFC's decision not to offer undefeated bantamweight Farid Basharat a new contract. The longtime UFC analyst took up the subject on a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience.

Basharat's latest fight was a win over John Garza at UFC 329. His record in the promotion also includes victories over Chris Gutierrez, Taylor Lapilus and Da'Mon Blackshear, and still no new deal came.

Fighters, pundits and fans have pushed back against the move in recent days, and Dana White's vague explanation of why the UFC moved on did little to settle things. Before Basharat, the promotion had also let Muhammad Mokaev and other prospects go.

"This is what the game is"

Rogan objected to the demand that fighters be exciting. "People want everything to be chaos and blood. Like with Farid Basharat, undefeated, got cut…he's undefeated! I don't like that thinking that you have to be uber exciting," he said.

He said he had not spoken with White or the matchmakers. "They just decided that they didn't like his style, and I might be talking out of school here. I didn't talk to Dana [and the matchmakers], I don't know what happened. But I don't like not signing a guy who wants to be in the UFC and is fighting and winning," Rogan said, before pointing to Khamzat Chimaev: "You're saying that Khamzat can't fight in the UFC after he beat Dricus for the title? A lot of people thought that fight was boring!"

"I don't like guys not getting offered contracts because they don't like their style," he went on. "Fights are f—— complicated, and this idea that you're just supposed to be entertaining and ignore your skill set…this is what the game is! It's winning!"

Basharat has not signed with another promotion so far, though he is expected to be in demand as a free agent.

Source: The Joe Rogan Experience