UFC Vegas 87: +600 underdog snatches undefeated Javid Basharat's ‘0’ in stunning upset
Aiemann Zahabi extended his winning streak with a shocking upset win against Javid Basharat during the UFC Vegas 87 preliminary card.
UFC Vegas 87 started earlier than usual today, with eleven fights scheduled for the APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event quickly woke up the fans with three consecutive KO/TKOs, leading to a bantamweight matchup between Zahabi and Basharat.
Heading into today’s event, Basharat was widely considered one of the most talented bantamweight prospects in the UFC. ‘The Snow Leopard’ planned to extend his undefeated professional MMA record to 15-0, but Zahabi wouldn’t go out without a fight.
Once the dust settled, Zahabi handed Basharat his first professional MMA loss by unanimous decision (29-28 x3). MMA reporter Nolan King reported on X that fans who put on the Canadian underdog were rewarded with a massive payout. He said:
“Upset alert. Aiemann Zahabi was a +614 on average across major online books and just defeated Javid Basharat by UD (29-28x3). Wow! (h/t @BestFightOdds) #UFCVegas87”
Aiemann Zahabi vs. Javid Basharat was a battle of the brothers at UFC Vegas 87. Basharat’s brother is Farid Basharat, a UFC bantamweight with a professional MMA record of 12-0. Meanwhile, Zahabi is related to Firas Zahabi, the legendary head coach at Tristar Gym.
Where does Aiemann Zahabi stand in the bantamweight division after UFC Vegas 87 win?
Aiemann Zahabi made his UFC debut in February 2017, defeating Reginaldo Vieira by unanimous decision. Following his impressive win, he suffered a significant setback due to back-to-back losses against Ricardo Ramos and Vince Morales.
Zahabi bounced back after enduring the adversity by taking out Drako Rodriguez, Ricky Turcious, and Aoriqileng. Now that he’s defeated Javid Basharat, the 36-year-old has proven he is a threat against any bantamweight opponents moving forward.
It’s unclear who and when Zahabi will fight next. With that said, the Canadian could find himself against a ranked opponent after taking out the highly-touted Basharat. Only time will tell how far he can go in the stacked 135-pound division.