Exclusive | Tony Gravely predicts a ‘2nd or 3rd round finish’ against undefeated Javid Basharat at UFC Vegas 60
UFC bantamweight Tony Gravely is preparing for his fight against Javid Basharat at UFC Fight Night on Sept. 17. The taekwondo black belt is on a two-fight winning streak, coming off a first-round knockout win over Johnny Munoz Jr. in June.
Gravely (23-7) is a veteran in the fight game– with 30 professional fights. The Dana White Contender Series (DWCS) alumn is looking to climb the ranks of the bantamweight division.
Before stepping into the octagon for his sixth UFC fight, Gravely spoke with LowKick MMA about his official fight prediction, DWCS experience and time at American Top Team.
Gravely’s goal is to be ranked in the bantamweight division by next year. In the meantime, he is focused on his upcoming fight against Javid Basharat. Basharat (12-0) is also a DWCS alumni, who is undefeated in his MMA career. He’s coming off a successful UFC debut in March, where he earned a unanimous decision win.
When asked about his prediction, Gravely said he will finish the fight in the later rounds.
“I want to say it’s gonna be a second or third round. I’m not sure if I think it’s going to be a submission or a TKO but it’ll be one or the other. It’ll be a second or third-round finish.”
Gravely got an opportunity to impress UFC president Dana White on DCWS in 2019. He took advantage of the moment and scored a KO win to earn a spot in the UFC. Since then, Gravely has gone 4-2 in his UFC career with two finishes. He explained how he’s changed as a fighter from DWCS to now.
“The biggest difference is confidence in my skill set. Back then, I knew what areas I was really good at and certain areas I thought I was good at but I was hesitant and I never really opened up and expressed everything,” Gravely said. “I’ve been a professional since like 2015, so not too long of a career as far as years go. So just progressing and being confident with my abilities, not just my cardio but everything as well.”
Tony Gravely’s MMA Home
After spending years at Tech MMA and Fitness Academy, Gravely joined American Top Team (ATT), one of the premier gyms in mixed martial arts. Since making the move in 2020, Gravely has gained valuable knowledge from experienced training partners and coaches.
“It’s an unreal experience…getting to train with these guys and getting to pick their brains. If there’s something they do really well, you ask about it and they’ll do their best to help you with it and make you really good with it as well so it’s been phenomenal. It’s been a dream come true. I tell everybody [that] American Top Team is like a fighter’s heaven… from the top to the bottom, everything is 10 out of 10.”
