Javid “The Snow Leopard” Basharat is big trouble for anyone in the UFC’s Bantamweight division. He’s currently undefeated at 12-0 with 11 finishes—five of those come via KO and six by way of submission. Oh, and just to add to the danger factor of Javid, 9 of those were in the first round.
Javid’s next outing is at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Song at the UFX Apex, this Saturday, September 17th. He will stand across the octagon from six-fight UFC veteran and Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Tony Gravely (23-7). Gravely is 4-2 inside the UFC and recently earned a massive KO win in his last fight. The fight is expected to bring fireworks and if you are a betting man or woman, place your bets on this fight not seeing the distance.
Javid was kind enough to give us some time during fight week to discuss a little about Saturday night and his future in the sport.
Interview
Javid, You’re fighting Saturday. How are you feeling just a few days out from fight night & how have you prepared mentally and physically for this fight?
“Yes, I am fighting on Saturday I feel the best of ever felt going into any fight skill-wise, mentally, and physically. This is just another day for me as I’m used to having my brother fight close to when I’m fighting because we have fought on the same day before on the same card so it makes it easier since we have experienced it before.“
Congrats to Farid by the way! Great scrap. You’re fighting Tony Gravely. He’s an experienced fighter coming off a big KO win. How do you see yourself matching up against him?
“Thanks. A guy like Tony gravely is always dangerous because of his power. But power doesn’t mean much if you can’t hit the target and I think I’m going to be too hard for him to hit. He’s a good wrestler too so I think it’s going to come down to the wrestling exchanges and that will determine the outcome“
You’re undefeated, 12-0. What’s next for Javid Basharat with a win on Saturday? Do you have a name in mind?
“I’m focused on Tony gravely, for now, I will take care of the names after the fight!”
MMA Future?
When it’s all said and done. What do you have hoped to achieve in the sport?
“I want to be a Champion and a Hall of Famer when it’s all said and done!”
Some champs these days head up a weight class for double champ status. When you’re the champ, would look to head down the same route? Or does a GSP-like figure, defending the belt and clearing out the division appeal to you more?
“They both sound appealing. But clearing out the division first sounds more appealing but then I’ll let my brother take over, and I move up but we will cross that bridge when we get there haha still a long way to go”
What do you think makes you stand out from other fighters?
“My ability to fight in any position, I think I’m one of the most well-rounded if not the most well-rounded fighters in the division.”
UFC 280 Predictions
Talking of the weight class. There is a big bantamweight fight or two coming up at UFC 280. Who do you think wins between Sterling and Dillashaw? Yan also faces O’Malley. How do you see that playing out?
“I think Sterling beats Dillashaw, Sterling is a very high-level specialist and Dillashaw is on his way out I believe. Funnily enough, think I think O’Malley beats Yan because Yan is a very slow starter and it will be in a big cage and it is also a 3 rounder which will play in O’Malley’s favor however if it was a 5 rounder then I believe Yan finishes him.”
Do you see your path crossing with any of them fighters anytime soon? A number by your name is close! That O’Malley fight would be a fun one!
“O’Malley, if he loses, would be the most realistic and stylistically I think I will be the worst possible match-up for him. The others I feel are ranked too high and I need to climb the ladder but I know I can hold my own against them now. When the time comes I will be ready.”
Final Questions
Ideally, when do you want to fight again, and is there a venue/card you’d want to get on specifically? And are there any shoutouts you’d like to give or any messages for your fans?
I don’t want to think to fight ahead but I would love to fight in the UK, particularly in London it’s always been a dream of mine since I was young. Everytime I would walk past 02 arenas or even Wembley stadium I would visualize it haha . Shout out to my teammates at XC and BKMMA . My coaches are Jake Shields, Dewey Cooper. Yes, I’m starting a new YouTube channel with my brother Farid called Basharat brothers so make sure you subscribe for exclusive content. Here’s the link https://youtube.com/channel/UCnxMYF3FwEbZBaFvQdW4zUQ
We wish Javid Basharat and his brother the best of luck in their fight and content careers. Tune in to UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Song this Saturday to watch him in action! Javid Basharat vs Tony Gravely will be the second bout of the night.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
