UFC 329 adds John Garza against Farid Basharat after late pullout

Regional bantamweight John Garza will face No. 10-ranked Farid Basharat at UFC 329 on Saturday in Las Vegas after Ethyn Ewing pulled out of the fight, MMA Mania reports.

The promotion confirmed the matchup Sunday night with less than a week to go before the Paramount Plus-streamed card at T-Mobile Arena. Garza, a 23-year-old striker who competes under the nickname "Mowgli," carries a 6-1 pro record and was scheduled to challenge for the Fury FC bantamweight title in August before the UFC called.

Garza faces unbeaten wrestler with UFC ranking

The newcomer built his resume almost entirely at Fury FC, where he went 4-0 and developed a reputation for crowd-friendly striking. His lanky frame has drawn skepticism from some corners of the internet, though others point to his boxing fundamentals and finishing rate as reasons to give him a shot against Basharat.

Basharat enters 15-0 overall and 6-0 inside the Octagon, though all six UFC wins came by decision. His wrestling and fight IQ earned him a jump from No. 15 to No. 10 at bantamweight when the promotion rolled out its new Meta UFC rankings system earlier this year.

The matchup echoes the original booking in at least one respect. Ewing made his name by beating undefeated prospects, and Garza now gets the same opportunity on short notice. Oddsmakers will install Basharat as a heavy favorite, but the underdog money could flow toward a fighter who has never faced this level of competition.

UFC 329 goes down Saturday, July 11, headlined by Conor McGregor against Max Holloway in their long-awaited rematch.

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• MMA Mania — Conor McGregor-led UFC 329 fight card gets last-second regional fighter replacement