The Afghan-British bantamweight says the American Top Team gym environment itself brings out the best in the fighters
Most gyms produce good fighters, but ATT has over the years produced champions and MMA legends like Amanda Nunes, Dustin Poirier, and Junior dos Santos.
Javid Basharat, interestingly, has a front-row seat to exactly what happens in the famed gym. He is currently in the middle of two world title camps simultaneously, and he revealed the experience is unlike anything in the sport.
Javid Basharat on Training With Alexandre Pantoja and Movsar Evloev
Movsar Evloev is preparing for the featherweight gold against Alexander Volkanovski, and Alexandre Pantoja is training for the flyweight title against Joshua Van.
When asked about the environment inside the gym in an interview with Home of Fight, Basharat said, “Every time I’m at the gym, you see someone training for a world title fight. Whether it’s UFC, PFL, Oktagon, you see it every day.”
Furthermore, he discussed training with contenders preparing for the UFC title. He said, “I get to train with Movsar and Pantoja because they’re close to my weight division, and just being there is just so good. It’s not just the fighters that make it what it is there; it’s the coaches too.”
Basharat is 5’9″ and weighs 136 pounds, making him an ideal addition to both contenders’ camps. Thus, he is not only watching them at the camp but also taking part in it
The 30-year-old’s words represent how a fighter’s ceiling rises when he enters a gym and sees fighters all around him working for the world title.
Pantoja and Evloev’s Title Fight
Movsar Evloev, the undefeated 20-0 featherweight, is one of the most talked-about contenders in the division. Now, with an amazing 10-fight UFC win streak and triumphs over Lerone Murphy, Aljamain Sterling (former champion), and Arnold Allen, the Russian star will enter his first-ever UFC title fight.
Evloev will face the former pound-for-pound number one, Alexander Volkanovski, for the 145-lb title at UFC 333 on October 24 in Abu Dhabi.
Alexandre Pantoja has a more interesting angle to his fight. He was the flyweight champion for nearly three years after taking the belt from Brandon Moreno in 2023.
With four title defenses and an eight-fight win streak, Pantoja looked invincible. But even Achilles had a vulnerable tendon.
Unfortunately, in his fifth title defense against Joshua Van in December 2025, Pantoja severely injured his left arm while planting it to break his fall after a shove. The fight ended at the 0:26 mark of the first round. Van walked away with a TKO victory and the title.
Now they will enter the cage again to settle it all at UFC 331 on September 19 in Los Angeles. Given both contenders’ run in the UFC and their fierce fighting style, this will be an exciting fight to watch.
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