Bantamweights
Farid Basharat (9-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Da'Mon Blackshear (12-4-1, 0-0-1 UFC)There is a lot to suggest that Basharat can make an impact during his time in the UFC, even in a particularly deep bantamweight division. He is the younger brother of current UFC bantamweight Javid Basharat, who himself is quickly rising through the ranks; and there is a lot of similarity between the two. Farid fights behind his wrestling a lot more but exhibits the same type of snappy and mobile striking that has served his sibling well thus far. He should have a fun fight against Blackshear, who stepped in on late notice to take Youssef Zalal to a draw in his UFC debut in August. Blackshear is tall and rangy for the division but would rather close in on opponents than take advantage of his reach. He is a solid offensive wrestler and a questionable defensive one, making his fights a bit of an adventure as he hunts for a submission. He will at least get his type of fight to an extent, but Basharat looks to be the more reliable fighter even if Blackshear succeeds in turning this fight into a mess. The pick is Basharat via decision.
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