UFC 329: John Garza replaces injured Ethyn Ewing vs Farid Basharat

John Garza will step in to face undefeated bantamweight Farid Basharat at UFC 329 this Saturday in Las Vegas after scheduled opponent Ethyn Ewing pulled out with what the promotion described as a detrimental training injury.

MMA Fighting confirmed the late replacement bout on the prelims, with Marcel Dorff first reporting the matchup. Basharat holds a 15-0 record with six straight UFC wins since joining the roster off the Contender Series in 2022, most recently taking a split decision over Jean Matsumoto at UFC Vegas 113 in February. The 23-year-old sits at No. 15 in the UFC's media rankings for the division.

Garza brings five-fight streak into promotional debut

Garza arrives in the octagon with a 6-1 record despite just two years as a professional. The Texas-based fighter bounced back from an early career loss to rattle off five consecutive wins, primarily under the Fury FC banner. His last outing saw him knock out Josh Walker in the second round this past January.

The 23-year-old compiled a lengthy amateur resume before turning pro, though he now faces a major step up in competition against a ranked opponent on short notice.

UFC 329 is headlined by a welterweight clash between Conor McGregor and Max Holloway. The event takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — UFC 329 gets late replacement opponent change