Vazquez Cut After One UFC Fight on Short Notice

Gianni Vazquez has been released by the UFC following a single Octagon appearance, a unanimous decision loss to Javid Basharat at UFC Vegas 113 on February 7, 2026. Vazquez had stepped in on short notice to replace Said Nurmagomedov for that flyweight contest.

Vazquez entered the UFC off the back of a five-fight winning streak that included multiple stoppages, his only blemish in that stretch being a loss to Edgar Chairez, who carries a 13-6-0 record and fights out of Entram Gym in Mexico. The short-notice assignment proved a difficult ask, and the judges' scorecards ultimately went against Vazquez, ending his UFC tenure after a single bout.

Basharat, known as The Snow Leopard, came in as a legitimate threat. The 30-year-old Englishman training out of Xtreme Couture holds a 15-2-0 record and brings considerable offensive output, averaging 5.18 significant strikes per minute at 54 percent accuracy. He also adds a takedown threat, averaging 1.83 takedowns per 15 minutes. Despite that performance, Basharat himself was also cut by the promotion in a separate move that has drawn attention to the UFC's aggressive roster trimming at flyweight.

Said Nurmagomedov, the Russian fighter Vazquez replaced, is 18-5-0 and fights out of Fight Club Akhmat. The 34-year-old stands five-foot-eight with a 70-inch reach, and his absence from UFC Vegas 113 set the short-notice chain in motion.

Why it matters

• Vazquez's one-and-done exit highlights how little margin exists for fighters stepping in short notice without a prior Octagon record to fall back on
• The cuts of both Vazquez and Basharat signal ongoing roster consolidation at flyweight heading deeper into 2026
• Vazquez will likely look to rebuild his profile in regional or secondary promotions after his brief UFC stint