Austin Bashi Record: 14-1-0

Climbing the regional ranks

A signature regional win came in September 2023, when Bashi submitted Askar Askar by second-round short choke at Lights Out Championship 13, beating an opponent who entered at 14-3 and confirming Bashi could finish credible, experienced names. That result was part of a long unbeaten run that carried him into the UFC with momentum and a reputation as one of the better American prospects at 145 pounds.

UFC arrival

Bashi's UFC debut in January 2025 delivered the only loss of his career, a unanimous-decision setback to Christian Rodriguez at a UFC Fight Night. He responded in emphatic fashion in August 2025, submitting John Yannis by first-round rear-naked choke at a UFC Fight Night to get back in the win column and reassert his finishing pedigree on the sport's biggest stage. That bounce-back showed the maturity of a fighter who handled his first professional defeat without losing the identity that defines his game.

Fighting style

Bashi is a grappling-first featherweight whose record reflects his strengths: of his 14 wins, six have come by submission and three by knockout, against a 64% finish rate, with five decisions rounding out the ledger. His wrestling base lets him dictate where fights happen, and the rear-naked choke is his calling card, the method behind several of his most important wins. He blends that control with a sturdy Muay Thai background that gives him competent striking and the ability to grind out decisions when finishes do not come. His lone loss, a points defeat to Christian Rodriguez, hinted that elite athletes can neutralize his pressure over three rounds, the clear next test in his development.

Career highlights

• First Chaldean in the UFC — Bashi earned a UFC contract on the Contender Series while undefeated, breaking ground as the first fighter of Chaldean descent to reach the promotion.
• Two-time regional champion — he reigned as a two-time Lights Out Championship bantamweight titleholder before moving to featherweight and signing with the UFC.
• Bounce-back finisher — after his lone career loss to Christian Rodriguez, he submitted John Yannis in the first round to prove his finishing remains UFC-caliber.