Javid Basharat delivered exactly what was required at UFC Vegas 113. Tasked with facing late replacement Gianni Vazquez on short notice, Basharat navigated a gritty, competitive affair to secure a hard-fought decision victory.
Basharat (15-2) was originally scheduled to face Said Nurmagomedov, but visa issues forced Nurmagomedov out of the bout. Gianni Vazquez stepped in on just days’ notice, missed weight, but ultimately kept the fight intact.
“It was tougher than it looked. It wasn’t so tough, but it just I got hit that second round, and that was pretty much the only moment he had,” Basharat told reporters including Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.
“So, feel good.”
After navigating a competitive three-round battle against a late replacement, Basharat reflected on both the physicality of the bout and the moments where he believed the fight was on the brink of ending.
While the scorecards ultimately favored him, he revealed there were flashes inside the Octagon where he thought a finish was imminent.
“It was definitely a grinding 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 in that first. I saw his eye roll back when I kept waking him up when I was hitting him,” he said.
“I was like man, shall I stop hitting him?”
Basharat also made sure to acknowledge the resilience his short-notice opponent showed, praising the toughness Vazquez brought despite the adversity surrounding the matchup. Even in victory, the bantamweight contender emphasized the respect he has for fighters willing to step in and compete under those circumstances.
“Listen, he’s a Mexican. He’s a warrior and he fought his heart out. Man you got to love Mexicans. Tough guys,” he said.
NOTE: Basharat was released from the UFC just days after the fight.
Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Javid Basharat above.
