A new bantamweight bout nears finalization.
Promotional debutant Farid Basharat (9-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and sophomore Da'Mon Blackshear (12-4-1 MMA, 0-0-1) is expected to be finalized for UFC 285 in the coming days with verbal agreements already in place. The pay-per-view event is expected to take place March 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Two people with knowledge of the targeted bout recently informed MMA Junkie of the matchup but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Both fighters recently trained at Xtreme Couture, though Blackshear will return to Jackson Wink MMA, the gym he previously called home base, for this training camp.
Basharat followed in the footsteps of his brother Javid Basharat when he won a unanimous decision over Allan Begosso on Dana White’s Contender Series in September to earn a UFC contract. In nine professional wins, Basharat has six finishes including five submissions.
Blackshear took the long, difficult road to the UFC as he fought many top-tier prospects on the regional scene from 2016 to 2021. After he won and defended the CFFC bantamweight title, Blackshear signed with the UFC for a short-notice opportunity in August when he drew with Youssef Zalalat UFC on ESPN 41 in San Diego.
With the addition, the UFC 285 lineup includes:
- Bo Nickal vs. Jamie Pickett
- Jessica Penne vs. Tabatha Ricci
- Farid Basharat vs. Da’Mon Blackshear
