UFC
What is the BMF, the unofficial UFC belt that Max Holloway owns and that Ilia Topuria will not be competing for?
This title was created physically to award the winner of the fight between Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal. It stands for ‘Baddest Motherf***er’.
Last April, midway through the main event of the galactic UFC 300, Justin Gaethje put his BMF belt on the line against Max Holloway. That fight, won by Holloway, Ilia Topuria’s next opponent at UFC 308, was the prelude to two fights in which a world title would be at stake. However, it was surprising that the BMF belt, which is classified as unofficial, had to be defended.
This title began as something symbolic, following statements from Nate Diaz. After his two consecutive fights against Conor McGregor, the Stockton fighter acquired fame and a notable image in the eyes of the fans. Despite this media push, Diaz spent three years without fighting until, in 2019, he faced Anthony Pettis. In that fight, Diaz argued after winning that he had proven to be the “Baddest Motherf***er”, which, according to his calculations, was decided between him and Pettis.
Immediately after winning his biut, Nate Diaz called out Jorge Masvidal to fight, and this time the UFC did not let the train pass by. Once the fight between the two stars was agreed upon, the company designed a specific belt, which was outside of the usual world titles, and which was declared the ‘BMF’. In November 2019, Masvidal defeated Diaz and was crowned the first BMF champion in history at UFC 244.
A belt not suitable for everyone
The BMF is a title designed for fighters who are fearless inside the cage and have little control over their emotions. Tough guys with a ruthless, unbalanced character in life. It is because of that first clause that, after Masvidal’s retirement from the company, Dana White wanted to relaunch the BMF story between two bloodthirsty warriors like Gaethje and Poirier.
These two lightweight legends faced each other for the second time in the main event of UFC 291. A fight that promised to be a truly fierce war ended by knockout in just 6 minutes, when in round 2, Gaetjhe knocked out 'The Diamond' with a kick to the head.
And what came next is history. Gaetz lost to Holloway, the fighter with the most blows landed and received in the history of the company. But good old Max, against Topuria, will not risk his current status as the baddest motherf***er: UFC 308 has its own war at stake.