Javid Basharat delivered exactly what was needed UFC Vegas 113. Charged with late replacement Gianni Vazquez in short order, Basharat navigated a tough, competitive affair to secure a hard-fought decision victory.
Basharat (15-2) was originally scheduled to face Saïd Nurmagomedov, but visa issues forced Nurmagomedov out of the fight. Gianni Vazquez stepped in just a few days beforehand, missed weight, but ultimately kept the fight intact.
“It was harder than it looked. It wasn’t that hard, but I just got hit in that second round, and that was pretty much the only moment he had,” Basharat told reporters, including Cageside Press, during his post-fight scrum.
“So feel good.”
After enduring a competitive three-round fight against a late replacement, Basharat reflected on both the physicality of the fight and the moments when he believed the fight was about to end.
Although the scorecards ultimately favored him, he revealed there were flashes in the Octagon where he thought a finish was imminent.
“It was definitely a tough fight, but grinding doesn’t mean tough. We grind every day in the gym, you know. Did I expect that? Yes and no. I expected to finish him first in that one. I saw his eyes roll back as I kept waking him up when I hit him,” he said.
“I was like a man, should I stop hitting him?”
Basharat also made sure to acknowledge the resilience his opponent showed in the short term, praising the toughness Vazquez brought despite the setbacks surrounding the match. Even in victory, the bantamweight prospect emphasized the respect he has for fighters who are willing to step in and compete under those circumstances.
“Listen, he’s Mexican. He’s a warrior and he fought his heart and soul. Man, you gotta love Mexicans. Tough guys,” he said.
NOTE: Basharat was released from the UFC just days after the fight.
Watch the full post-fight scrum with Javid Basharat above.
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