John Garza steps in late to face Farid Basharat at UFC 329

UFC 329 is set to proceed with a key bantamweight fight on the prelims after Farid Basharat finally received an opponent for Saturday night. John Garza has been tapped as the late replacement, taking the matchup against the undefeated prospect in a bout that changes the complexion of the event’s opening stretch without changing its headline picture.

According to multiple reports covering the change, Basharat had been scheduled to fight Ethyn Ewing, but Ewing pulled out last week following an injury suffered in training. With the UFC needing a quick turnaround, Garza was brought in to ensure the bout remained on the card, creating a short-notice opportunity for a fighter who has mostly built his name regionally and is now stepping onto a UFC stage under bright lights.

Basharat enters the replacement bout with momentum built inside the promotion. Reports note that he is currently ranked No. 15 in the UFC’s bantamweight media rankings and has won six consecutive fights in the UFC since signing off the Contender Series in 2022. His most recent outing came in February at UFC Vegas 113, when he edged Jean Matsumoto by split decision, reinforcing that even when opponents adjust, Basharat has found ways to keep winning.

The replacement opponent, Garza, will be making his promotional debut, and the reports emphasize the contrast between the fighters’ paths. Garza is listed at 6-1 professionally and has been unbeaten since a second pro loss earlier in his career, a run that includes five straight victories. Those wins have come primarily through Fury FC competition, culminating in a second-round knockout over Josh Walker in January, which helped put him in position for a UFC call-up.

Because the switch came late, the matchup also brings practical challenges for Garza’s preparation. A short-notice UFC debut typically means less time for opponent-specific scouting and game planning, while Basharat’s camp can sharpen its focus around the styles and tendencies they have seen on tape for the new opponent. That imbalance can matter in bantamweight matchups, where adjustments within rounds often decide how much damage a fighter accumulates.

UFC 329 itself remains headlined by the welterweight clash between Conor McGregor and Max Holloway. With the event built around that marquee fight, the Basharat-Garza bout is a supporting subplot that will still draw attention from fans tracking the next tier of bantamweight contenders. Basharat’s streak and ranking give the fight real stakes, while Garza’s performance will serve as the immediate referendum on whether the replacement can handle UFC-caliber pace and pressure.

For the weekend, the cleanest way to evaluate the replacement is to watch how quickly Garza settles into the Octagon and whether he can impose his own tempo early. For Basharat, the question becomes whether the change of opponent alters the approach that has carried him through recent fights, particularly after a split-decision win where control is earned as much as it is seized. The card is now complete for the prelims segment, but the unanswered question is what the late switch will reveal about both fighters under UFC lights.