Afghan MMA fighter wanted to make his Israeli opponent 'suffer' when he was called a racist slur

• Javid Basharat earned a UFC contract after a Contender Series win last week in Las Vegas.
• But before the bout, his opponent Oron Kahlon called him a "terrorist."

Afghan MMA fighter Javid Basharat wanted to make his opponent Oron Kahlon "suffer" when the Israeli called him a racist slur.

Things got ugly at a pre-fight Contender Series weigh-in in October when Kahlon went face-to-face with Basharat, and could be heard calling his opponent "terrorist."

Things could have escalated but Basharat kept his cool and said later in a statement that Kahlon would have wanted a violent reaction.

The following night, Basharat choked Kahlon in front of Dana White and impressed the UFC boss so much that he handed him a contract to fight for the promotion.

White, who was aware of the slur, said the UFC wouldn't do anything about the comment, and instead said: "Justice gets served," inside the Octagon.

One week later, Basharat told MMA Fighting that he wanted to make Kahlon "suffer" in the fight.

"I was thinking to myself if I slap him now, I only get one slap in before everybody breaks it up or something, and the fight's going to be called off.

"I went in there thinking I'm going to fight this guy, and I'm going to make him suffer for 14 minutes. I'm going to make him suffer for 14 minutes, and then get him when I want to get him."

Angered by the comment, Basharat continued: "He's going to give me submissions, he's going to want a way out but I'm not going to take it. He's going to give me knockouts, he's going to want a way out, I'm not going to take it.

"I'm going to beat him up until when I've had enough, I'm going to submit him. To be honest, I had enough."

Victory advanced Basharat's pro MMA record to 11 wins (five knockouts and six submissions) against zero losses or draws.

The way Basharat carried himself through fight week, in the fight itself, and beyond, has boosted his name value in the sport.

He finished by remarking that he appreciates other people - fans and media - who were also offended by Kahlon's "terrorist" comment.

"It just shows these things cannot be tolerated and people are on the same wavelength as me, even though it wasn't directed at them," he said.

"It was directed at me, but they still got offended by it. Because racism's a no-no. You don't just get racist and you just don't do that sort of stuff."