Preview: UFC Fight Night 238 Prelims

Bantamweights

Javid Basharat (14-0, 3-0 UFC) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (10-2, 4-2 UFC)

ODDS: Basharat (-700), Zahabi (+500)

It is always nice when a prospect transitions to the UFC as cleanly as Basharat did. Born in Afghanistan and training out of England, Basharat showed a combination of slick striking and solid wrestling heading into his UFC debut in 2022, but he was not proven at a particularly high level, so the worry was that his confidence in his game could walk him right into danger against better competition. However, “The Snow Leopard” has proven those worries to be unfounded. Basharat has risen to the challenge and kicked off his UFC career with three clean and well-rounded wins, with his last fight against Victor Henry ending in a no contest. Basharat’s success makes it a bit surprising that the UFC has not seen fit to try and push him into the rankings, instead choosing to match him against talented under-the-radar prospects and veterans. Fitting right in with that trend, Basharat draws Aiemann Zahabi this time around. The brother of highly regarded coach Firas Zahabi, the Canadian has flown under the radar in recent years despite his success, mostly thanks to some stretches of inactivity. Zahabi has only made it to the cage three times since 2019, winning all of those fights. During that stretch, Zahabi has settled into a patient approach centered around countering his opponents; and while that has resulted in some long stretches where the he does not get much done, he has proven sharp enough in his moments of offense to starch Drako Rodriguez and Qileng Aori. Basharat’s swagger could certainly get him hit hard in this fight, but the Afghan fighter should be able to drown Zahabi in pace and coast this one out, even if he needs to use his wrestling as a failsafe. The pick is Basharat via decision.

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