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Welcome to the MMA News’ Sleeper Scrap! The relentless schedule of the MMA world means that some fans don’t have a full look at a fight card until days before the event, leaving the promoters to decide which bouts you should be paying the most attention to.
Everyone wants to tune in for main events and fights that feature popular names, but that means meaningful or potentially action-packed matchups from elsewhere on fight cards sometimes get lost in the shuffle. A Sleeper Scrap might highlight interesting style matchups, fighters with notable storylines, or bouts that simply have the chance to be a Fight of the Night contender.
Last week’s Sleeper Scrap from UFC Fight Night 220 saw Nurullo Aliev win his promotional debut against Rafael Alves, albeit not without a little bit of controversy. The run of lackluster Fight Night events from the UFC ends with this week’s UFC 285, which is loaded with enticing matchups all throughout the card.
Having plenty of exciting fights to choose from is never a bad thing, but the bout from UFC 285 that stands out as this week’s Sleeper Scrap is the bantamweight matchup featuring Da’Mon Blackshear and Farid Basharat.
The Fighters
It’s becoming increasingly rare to see debuting fighters in the UFC that aren’t coming off the Contender Series, but Da’Mon Blackshear proves that success as a regional champion can still get you a short-notice call up.
“Da Monster” started his pro career with four-straight wins that included three submissions, but that was followed by a pattern of wins and losses where he came up short against former UFC fighter Kris Moutinho and current UFC featherweight Pat Sabatini. Blackshear got back on track with another pair of submission wins that included a one-fight stop in Bellator before falling to recent Bellator title challenger Danny Sabatello in 2021.
The 28-year-old rebounded with four-straight wins that culminated with him claiming the Cage Fury FC bantamweight title in 2022, and that accolade allowed Blackshear to step in for a short-notice UFC debut against Youssef Zalal that ended in a majority draw.
Blackshear claimed the CFFC bantamweight title in 2021. (CFFC)
The younger brother of current UFC bantamweight Javid Basharat, Farid Basharat will carry an undefeated record into his debut at UFC 285.
A perfect amateur career where he stopped three out of four opponents led to the 25-year-old’s pro debut in 2018. Basharat proceeded to make short work of most of the fighters he faced on the English regional scene, as he collected another four finishes through six fights.
“Ferocious” took a step up in competition when he faced Janne Elonen-Kulmala in a bout for top Czech promotion Oktagon MMA in 2021. Basharat passed that test with another finish, and one more victory against Raul Guzmán was enough for a Contender Series 2022 opportunity where he defeated Allan Begosso to earn a UFC contract and follow in his brother’s footsteps.
The Matchup
The majority of Blackshear’s wins have come via submission, but the 28-year-old is happy to engage on the feet as long as his opponents are letting him dictate the pace of the fight.
“Da Monster” relies a lot on throwing 1-2’s and usually doesn’t maintain an especially high output of strikes, but he’s constantly faking kicks to open up opportunities to land big shots. The variety of kicks he’s willing to throw can confuse opponents into backing away or covering up, which also opens up chances for Blackshear to jump forward with flying knees.
The 28-year-old isn’t especially urgent when it comes to taking things to the mat, but he has eight submission victories on his pro record and can end a fight quickly when he does get opponents down. Blackshear will also be aggressive off his back and threaten submissions from that position, which could make any potential scrambles in this fight particularly entertaining.
Basharat’s style shares a lot of similarities with his brother, and his striking is defined by the constant presence of his jab and an extremely active kicking game.
Basharat is a confident striker with a diverse array of tools. (Zuffa LLC)
“Ferocious” likes to use his kicks as a way to move between stances, and he’s constantly throwing out feints to draw reactions from his opponents. The 25-year-old does have a tendency to back up on a straight line when pressured, but his counter left hook or right hand are always ready to deter opponents from coming forward.
Even though he has plenty of weapons on the feet, Basharat is arguably at his most dangerous when he’s timing takedown attempts so he can start landing elbows from top position. Opponents that turn to their knees in an effort to get up will quickly find “Ferocious” on their backs, where he’ll look to set up a body triangle and hunt for a fight-ending rear naked choke.
The Stakes
Basharat’s undefeated record and clear talent have plenty of eyes on him ahead of his UFC debut, but the 25-year-old also has the added pressure of how successful his brother has already been in the promotion.
Also undefeated, Javid has quickly earned three UFC victories since making his debut in 2022. One thing that “The Snow Leopard” hasn’t done yet is showcase his considerable finishing skills in the Octagon, so Farid could quickly beat his older brother to that milestone if he’s able to score a stoppage against Blackshear.
Farid’s brother Javid already has three wins in the UFC. (Twitter)
It could be argued that Blackshear was fortunate to get his UFC opportunity last year by stepping in on short notice, but defeating a Contender Series alum is great chance for him to remind the UFC that they can still sign good fighters without sending them to fight at the Apex first.
A majority draw is certainly an uncommon way to make your UFC debut, but Blackshear’s fight with Zalal was a closely-contested affair where the 28-year-old showed off some of his grappling skills in the first two rounds. The final frame of that fight saw “Da Monster” slow down and eat a ton of volume from Zalal, who also scored a knockdown in the final seconds to secure a 10-8 round from two of the judges.
Blackshear’s UFC debut ended in a majority draw. (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
Blackshear may need to prove the lackluster third round in his debut was merely because he took the fight on short notice, but he’s also a considerable underdog in this matchup and will be dealing with an opponent that throws a lot of volume on the feet.
Some of the hype around Basharat may be due to what his brother has already accomplished, but there will certainly be pressure on both bantamweights to put on a good performance at UFC 285 and earn their first win in the promotion.
How do you think this bout between Basharat and Blackshear will turn out? Are there any other fights from UFC 285 that you feel deserve more attention?
Welcome to the MMA News’ Sleeper Scrap! The relentless schedule of the MMA world means that some fans don’t have a full look at a fight card until days before the event, leaving the promoters to decide which bouts you should be paying the most attention to.
Everyone wants to tune in for main events and fights that feature popular names, but that means meaningful or potentially action-packed matchups from elsewhere on fight cards sometimes get lost in the shuffle. A Sleeper Scrap might highlight interesting style matchups, fighters with notable storylines, or bouts that simply have the chance to be a Fight of the Night contender.
Last week’s Sleeper Scrap from UFC Fight Night 220 saw Nurullo Aliev win his promotional debut against Rafael Alves, albeit not without a little bit of controversy. The run of lackluster Fight Night events from the UFC ends with this week’s UFC 285, which is loaded with enticing matchups all throughout the card.
Having plenty of exciting fights to choose from is never a bad thing, but the bout from UFC 285 that stands out as this week’s Sleeper Scrap is the bantamweight matchup featuring Da’Mon Blackshear and Farid Basharat.
The Fighters
It’s becoming increasingly rare to see debuting fighters in the UFC that aren’t coming off the Contender Series, but Da’Mon Blackshear proves that success as a regional champion can still get you a short-notice call up.
“Da Monster” started his pro career with four-straight wins that included three submissions, but that was followed by a pattern of wins and losses where he came up short against former UFC fighter Kris Moutinho and current UFC featherweight Pat Sabatini. Blackshear got back on track with another pair of submission wins that included a one-fight stop in Bellator before falling to recent Bellator title challenger Danny Sabatello in 2021.
The 28-year-old rebounded with four-straight wins that culminated with him claiming the Cage Fury FC bantamweight title in 2022, and that accolade allowed Blackshear to step in for a short-notice UFC debut against Youssef Zalal that ended in a majority draw.
Blackshear claimed the CFFC bantamweight title in 2021. (CFFC)
The younger brother of current UFC bantamweight Javid Basharat, Farid Basharat will carry an undefeated record into his debut at UFC 285.
A perfect amateur career where he stopped three out of four opponents led to the 25-year-old’s pro debut in 2018. Basharat proceeded to make short work of most of the fighters he faced on the English regional scene, as he collected another four finishes through six fights.
“Ferocious” took a step up in competition when he faced Janne Elonen-Kulmala in a bout for top Czech promotion Oktagon MMA in 2021. Basharat passed that test with another finish, and one more victory against Raul Guzmán was enough for a Contender Series 2022 opportunity where he defeated Allan Begosso to earn a UFC contract and follow in his brother’s footsteps.
The Matchup
The majority of Blackshear’s wins have come via submission, but the 28-year-old is happy to engage on the feet as long as his opponents are letting him dictate the pace of the fight.
“Da Monster” relies a lot on throwing 1-2’s and usually doesn’t maintain an especially high output of strikes, but he’s constantly faking kicks to open up opportunities to land big shots. The variety of kicks he’s willing to throw can confuse opponents into backing away or covering up, which also opens up chances for Blackshear to jump forward with flying knees.
The 28-year-old isn’t especially urgent when it comes to taking things to the mat, but he has eight submission victories on his pro record and can end a fight quickly when he does get opponents down. Blackshear will also be aggressive off his back and threaten submissions from that position, which could make any potential scrambles in this fight particularly entertaining.
Basharat’s style shares a lot of similarities with his brother, and his striking is defined by the constant presence of his jab and an extremely active kicking game.
Basharat is a confident striker with a diverse array of tools. (Zuffa LLC)
“Ferocious” likes to use his kicks as a way to move between stances, and he’s constantly throwing out feints to draw reactions from his opponents. The 25-year-old does have a tendency to back up on a straight line when pressured, but his counter left hook or right hand are always ready to deter opponents from coming forward.
Even though he has plenty of weapons on the feet, Basharat is arguably at his most dangerous when he’s timing takedown attempts so he can start landing elbows from top position. Opponents that turn to their knees in an effort to get up will quickly find “Ferocious” on their backs, where he’ll look to set up a body triangle and hunt for a fight-ending rear naked choke.
The Stakes
Basharat’s undefeated record and clear talent have plenty of eyes on him ahead of his UFC debut, but the 25-year-old also has the added pressure of how successful his brother has already been in the promotion.
Also undefeated, Javid has quickly earned three UFC victories since making his debut in 2022. One thing that “The Snow Leopard” hasn’t done yet is showcase his considerable finishing skills in the Octagon, so Farid could quickly beat his older brother to that milestone if he’s able to score a stoppage against Blackshear.
Farid’s brother Javid already has three wins in the UFC. (Twitter)
It could be argued that Blackshear was fortunate to get his UFC opportunity last year by stepping in on short notice, but defeating a Contender Series alum is great chance for him to remind the UFC that they can still sign good fighters without sending them to fight at the Apex first.
A majority draw is certainly an uncommon way to make your UFC debut, but Blackshear’s fight with Zalal was a closely-contested affair where the 28-year-old showed off some of his grappling skills in the first two rounds. The final frame of that fight saw “Da Monster” slow down and eat a ton of volume from Zalal, who also scored a knockdown in the final seconds to secure a 10-8 round from two of the judges.
Blackshear’s UFC debut ended in a majority draw. (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
Blackshear may need to prove the lackluster third round in his debut was merely because he took the fight on short notice, but he’s also a considerable underdog in this matchup and will be dealing with an opponent that throws a lot of volume on the feet.
Some of the hype around Basharat may be due to what his brother has already accomplished, but there will certainly be pressure on both bantamweights to put on a good performance at UFC 285 and earn their first win in the promotion.
How do you think this bout between Basharat and Blackshear will turn out? Are there any other fights from UFC 285 that you feel deserve more attention?
Click here to view the article.
Everyone wants to tune in for main events and fights that feature popular names, but that means meaningful or potentially action-packed matchups from elsewhere on fight cards sometimes get lost in the shuffle. A Sleeper Scrap might highlight interesting style matchups, fighters with notable storylines, or bouts that simply have the chance to be a Fight of the Night contender.
Last week’s Sleeper Scrap from UFC Fight Night 220 saw Nurullo Aliev win his promotional debut against Rafael Alves, albeit not without a little bit of controversy. The run of lackluster Fight Night events from the UFC ends with this week’s UFC 285, which is loaded with enticing matchups all throughout the card.
Having plenty of exciting fights to choose from is never a bad thing, but the bout from UFC 285 that stands out as this week’s Sleeper Scrap is the bantamweight matchup featuring Da’Mon Blackshear and Farid Basharat.
The Fighters
It’s becoming increasingly rare to see debuting fighters in the UFC that aren’t coming off the Contender Series, but Da’Mon Blackshear proves that success as a regional champion can still get you a short-notice call up.
“Da Monster” started his pro career with four-straight wins that included three submissions, but that was followed by a pattern of wins and losses where he came up short against former UFC fighter Kris Moutinho and current UFC featherweight Pat Sabatini. Blackshear got back on track with another pair of submission wins that included a one-fight stop in Bellator before falling to recent Bellator title challenger Danny Sabatello in 2021.
The 28-year-old rebounded with four-straight wins that culminated with him claiming the Cage Fury FC bantamweight title in 2022, and that accolade allowed Blackshear to step in for a short-notice UFC debut against Youssef Zalal that ended in a majority draw.
Blackshear claimed the CFFC bantamweight title in 2021. (CFFC)
The younger brother of current UFC bantamweight Javid Basharat, Farid Basharat will carry an undefeated record into his debut at UFC 285.
A perfect amateur career where he stopped three out of four opponents led to the 25-year-old’s pro debut in 2018. Basharat proceeded to make short work of most of the fighters he faced on the English regional scene, as he collected another four finishes through six fights.
“Ferocious” took a step up in competition when he faced Janne Elonen-Kulmala in a bout for top Czech promotion Oktagon MMA in 2021. Basharat passed that test with another finish, and one more victory against Raul Guzmán was enough for a Contender Series 2022 opportunity where he defeated Allan Begosso to earn a UFC contract and follow in his brother’s footsteps.
The Matchup
The majority of Blackshear’s wins have come via submission, but the 28-year-old is happy to engage on the feet as long as his opponents are letting him dictate the pace of the fight.
“Da Monster” relies a lot on throwing 1-2’s and usually doesn’t maintain an especially high output of strikes, but he’s constantly faking kicks to open up opportunities to land big shots. The variety of kicks he’s willing to throw can confuse opponents into backing away or covering up, which also opens up chances for Blackshear to jump forward with flying knees.
The 28-year-old isn’t especially urgent when it comes to taking things to the mat, but he has eight submission victories on his pro record and can end a fight quickly when he does get opponents down. Blackshear will also be aggressive off his back and threaten submissions from that position, which could make any potential scrambles in this fight particularly entertaining.
Basharat’s style shares a lot of similarities with his brother, and his striking is defined by the constant presence of his jab and an extremely active kicking game.
Basharat is a confident striker with a diverse array of tools. (Zuffa LLC)
“Ferocious” likes to use his kicks as a way to move between stances, and he’s constantly throwing out feints to draw reactions from his opponents. The 25-year-old does have a tendency to back up on a straight line when pressured, but his counter left hook or right hand are always ready to deter opponents from coming forward.
Even though he has plenty of weapons on the feet, Basharat is arguably at his most dangerous when he’s timing takedown attempts so he can start landing elbows from top position. Opponents that turn to their knees in an effort to get up will quickly find “Ferocious” on their backs, where he’ll look to set up a body triangle and hunt for a fight-ending rear naked choke.
The Stakes
Basharat’s undefeated record and clear talent have plenty of eyes on him ahead of his UFC debut, but the 25-year-old also has the added pressure of how successful his brother has already been in the promotion.
Also undefeated, Javid has quickly earned three UFC victories since making his debut in 2022. One thing that “The Snow Leopard” hasn’t done yet is showcase his considerable finishing skills in the Octagon, so Farid could quickly beat his older brother to that milestone if he’s able to score a stoppage against Blackshear.
Farid’s brother Javid already has three wins in the UFC. (Twitter)
It could be argued that Blackshear was fortunate to get his UFC opportunity last year by stepping in on short notice, but defeating a Contender Series alum is great chance for him to remind the UFC that they can still sign good fighters without sending them to fight at the Apex first.
A majority draw is certainly an uncommon way to make your UFC debut, but Blackshear’s fight with Zalal was a closely-contested affair where the 28-year-old showed off some of his grappling skills in the first two rounds. The final frame of that fight saw “Da Monster” slow down and eat a ton of volume from Zalal, who also scored a knockdown in the final seconds to secure a 10-8 round from two of the judges.
Blackshear’s UFC debut ended in a majority draw. (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
Blackshear may need to prove the lackluster third round in his debut was merely because he took the fight on short notice, but he’s also a considerable underdog in this matchup and will be dealing with an opponent that throws a lot of volume on the feet.
Some of the hype around Basharat may be due to what his brother has already accomplished, but there will certainly be pressure on both bantamweights to put on a good performance at UFC 285 and earn their first win in the promotion.
How do you think this bout between Basharat and Blackshear will turn out? Are there any other fights from UFC 285 that you feel deserve more attention?
Welcome to the MMA News’ Sleeper Scrap! The relentless schedule of the MMA world means that some fans don’t have a full look at a fight card until days before the event, leaving the promoters to decide which bouts you should be paying the most attention to.
Everyone wants to tune in for main events and fights that feature popular names, but that means meaningful or potentially action-packed matchups from elsewhere on fight cards sometimes get lost in the shuffle. A Sleeper Scrap might highlight interesting style matchups, fighters with notable storylines, or bouts that simply have the chance to be a Fight of the Night contender.
Last week’s Sleeper Scrap from UFC Fight Night 220 saw Nurullo Aliev win his promotional debut against Rafael Alves, albeit not without a little bit of controversy. The run of lackluster Fight Night events from the UFC ends with this week’s UFC 285, which is loaded with enticing matchups all throughout the card.
Having plenty of exciting fights to choose from is never a bad thing, but the bout from UFC 285 that stands out as this week’s Sleeper Scrap is the bantamweight matchup featuring Da’Mon Blackshear and Farid Basharat.
The Fighters
It’s becoming increasingly rare to see debuting fighters in the UFC that aren’t coming off the Contender Series, but Da’Mon Blackshear proves that success as a regional champion can still get you a short-notice call up.
“Da Monster” started his pro career with four-straight wins that included three submissions, but that was followed by a pattern of wins and losses where he came up short against former UFC fighter Kris Moutinho and current UFC featherweight Pat Sabatini. Blackshear got back on track with another pair of submission wins that included a one-fight stop in Bellator before falling to recent Bellator title challenger Danny Sabatello in 2021.
The 28-year-old rebounded with four-straight wins that culminated with him claiming the Cage Fury FC bantamweight title in 2022, and that accolade allowed Blackshear to step in for a short-notice UFC debut against Youssef Zalal that ended in a majority draw.
The younger brother of current UFC bantamweight Javid Basharat, Farid Basharat will carry an undefeated record into his debut at UFC 285.
A perfect amateur career where he stopped three out of four opponents led to the 25-year-old’s pro debut in 2018. Basharat proceeded to make short work of most of the fighters he faced on the English regional scene, as he collected another four finishes through six fights.
“Ferocious” took a step up in competition when he faced Janne Elonen-Kulmala in a bout for top Czech promotion Oktagon MMA in 2021. Basharat passed that test with another finish, and one more victory against Raul Guzmán was enough for a Contender Series 2022 opportunity where he defeated Allan Begosso to earn a UFC contract and follow in his brother’s footsteps.
The Matchup
The majority of Blackshear’s wins have come via submission, but the 28-year-old is happy to engage on the feet as long as his opponents are letting him dictate the pace of the fight.
“Da Monster” relies a lot on throwing 1-2’s and usually doesn’t maintain an especially high output of strikes, but he’s constantly faking kicks to open up opportunities to land big shots. The variety of kicks he’s willing to throw can confuse opponents into backing away or covering up, which also opens up chances for Blackshear to jump forward with flying knees.
The 28-year-old isn’t especially urgent when it comes to taking things to the mat, but he has eight submission victories on his pro record and can end a fight quickly when he does get opponents down. Blackshear will also be aggressive off his back and threaten submissions from that position, which could make any potential scrambles in this fight particularly entertaining.
Basharat’s style shares a lot of similarities with his brother, and his striking is defined by the constant presence of his jab and an extremely active kicking game.
“Ferocious” likes to use his kicks as a way to move between stances, and he’s constantly throwing out feints to draw reactions from his opponents. The 25-year-old does have a tendency to back up on a straight line when pressured, but his counter left hook or right hand are always ready to deter opponents from coming forward.
Even though he has plenty of weapons on the feet, Basharat is arguably at his most dangerous when he’s timing takedown attempts so he can start landing elbows from top position. Opponents that turn to their knees in an effort to get up will quickly find “Ferocious” on their backs, where he’ll look to set up a body triangle and hunt for a fight-ending rear naked choke.
The Stakes
Basharat’s undefeated record and clear talent have plenty of eyes on him ahead of his UFC debut, but the 25-year-old also has the added pressure of how successful his brother has already been in the promotion.
Also undefeated, Javid has quickly earned three UFC victories since making his debut in 2022. One thing that “The Snow Leopard” hasn’t done yet is showcase his considerable finishing skills in the Octagon, so Farid could quickly beat his older brother to that milestone if he’s able to score a stoppage against Blackshear.
It could be argued that Blackshear was fortunate to get his UFC opportunity last year by stepping in on short notice, but defeating a Contender Series alum is great chance for him to remind the UFC that they can still sign good fighters without sending them to fight at the Apex first.
A majority draw is certainly an uncommon way to make your UFC debut, but Blackshear’s fight with Zalal was a closely-contested affair where the 28-year-old showed off some of his grappling skills in the first two rounds. The final frame of that fight saw “Da Monster” slow down and eat a ton of volume from Zalal, who also scored a knockdown in the final seconds to secure a 10-8 round from two of the judges.
Blackshear may need to prove the lackluster third round in his debut was merely because he took the fight on short notice, but he’s also a considerable underdog in this matchup and will be dealing with an opponent that throws a lot of volume on the feet.
Some of the hype around Basharat may be due to what his brother has already accomplished, but there will certainly be pressure on both bantamweights to put on a good performance at UFC 285 and earn their first win in the promotion.
How do you think this bout between Basharat and Blackshear will turn out? Are there any other fights from UFC 285 that you feel deserve more attention?
Click here to view the article.
