In today’s mixed martial arts (MMA) era, most up-and-coming fighters under the age of 25 with less than 10 fights aspire to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which can be a scary decision. There is a possibility that Admittedly, competing on a local stage is less than ideal. That’s because most fighters are paid and their opponents often withdraw within days or hours of a scheduled fight. Experience can be gained in the local arena.
More simply, fighters don’t want to learn on the field when competing in the UFC, especially in 2024 when MMA athletes are better than ever. Highly anticipated Austin Basi truly made the right choice for his career.
Bashi, 22 years old, is undefeated at 11-0 and is the most promising player in the United States. Although he is young and has only had 11 fights, he was ready to compete in the UFC starting in 2022. However, he made the choice to strive in the local scene.
“For me, experience is the biggest thing you get while fighting outside of the UFC,” Basi told MMAmania.com. “I feel like I get cut after a few fights because people rush to the UFC and start fighting high-level fighters. For me, the local scene, like going to the UFC is nothing new. It was important to play a tough game.”
Bashi began his career in the Extreme Fighting Championship (XFC) and later gained fighting experience in the Lights Out Fighting Championship, where he became a two-time bantamweight champion. More importantly, the competition he will now face is impressive. He’s only fought one opponent that he lost to, and that’s because former Bellator fighter Ricky Bandejas withdrew from the fight.
In addition to his illustrious career, Basi has incredible wrestling and tireless cardio that breaks his opponents. His hitting is getting better every game and that’s really raising his ceiling.
The UFC had been eyeing Basi for several years, but it was his team that passed up his promotion to the most important fight in the world in order to continue gaining experience. However, after his last win over former UFC fighter Askar Askar at Lights Out Championship 13, he announced his intention to go to the UFC.
“After all the hard work we’ve been through, we’re ready for the show,” Basi said. Ideally I’d go straight to the UFC, but if that’s not possible I’ll settle for the Contender Series. I had a few offers, but things just didn’t work out at the right time. ”
There is no doubt that Bashi will be competing in the UFC in 2024. The question is whether the promotion will force him into Dana White’s “Contender Series.” Whichever path he takes, Basi will make an immediate impact and be a name to watch for years to come.
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