Fight Coverage
BMF Title Lineage
Ahead Of The Third BMF Title Fight, Take A Look At The Short History Of The BMF Belt And The Men Who Have Fought For The Symbolic Belt
You never know what Nate Diaz is going to say with a microphone in his hand, and when the pride of Stockton, California, scored a win over Anthony Pettis at UFC 241, Diaz made his intentions plain.
“We’re fighting for the baddest mother****er in the game belt, and that’s mine,” Diaz told Joe Rogan in his post-fight Octagon interview. “I would like to defend it against Jorge Masvidal.”
Just like that, the “BMF” title was born.
The first BMF title fight took place in November 2019, and it has only come up twice more since then. Let's take a look at the lineage of the BMF belt:
Nate Diaz vs Jorge Masvidal (UFC 244 — November 2019)
The original BMF title fight pitted two originals themselves as Diaz and Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal headlined UFC 244 in New York City. Madison Square Garden was a fitting venue for this unique bout. To add to the pomp and circumstance of the evening, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson walked out with the freshly minted championship belt ahead of the bout. When the fight finally went down, it brought all the action and antics you’d hope for from Diaz and Masvidal.
Masvidal, fresh off knocking out Darren Till in London and Ben Askren (in historically quick fashion) during International Fight Week in July, started quickly. He rocked Diaz a handful of times and landed a heavy head kick.
Diaz, however, was at his usually durable best, and continued to talk trash and pressure Masvidal throughout the fight. Although Masivdal seemed in command after the third round, it seemed like Diaz was starting to grow into the fight well. However, a cut over Diaz’s right eye prompted the doctor to end the fight. Despite the anticlimactic ending, Masvidal capped off his incredible 2019 with “The Rock” wrapping the BMF title around his waist.
Dustin Poirier vs Justin Gaethje (UFC 291 — July 2023)
Four years would pass before the next BMF title fight, but there arguably wasn’t a better candidate for the occasion than the rematch between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje. Their first fight in 2018 was one of the best fights of that year and a defining one on Poirier’s run toward the interim lightweight title. What made the rematch even better was that both men racked up six wins, captured the interim lightweight title and even had matching losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira, to boot.
READ: The History Of Chinese Fighters in The UFC
Headlining UFC 291 in Salt Lake City, most expected the same sort of war. So, when Gaethje uncorked a head kick midway through the second round that sent Poirier crashing to the canvas, it truly felt like it came out of nowhere. Gaethje, after sticking the landing on his signature backflip, was then presented with the BMF title by Masvidal, a literal passing of the BMF torch.
Justin Gaethje vs Max Holloway (UFC 300 — April 2024)
This is why the BMF belt was made.
Max Holloway Knocks Out Justin Gaethje, Wins BMF Belt | UFC 300
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Max Holloway Knocks Out Justin Gaethje, Wins BMF Belt | UFC 300
/
With two of the most respected, beloved and entertaining fighters opposite each other in the Octagon at UFC 300, the anticipation for the matchup between Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway was as high as any on the historically stacked card. Holloway said in the lead-up that when you mix "The Highlight" with "Blessed," you get a "Blessed Highlight," and that's exactly what they delivered.
After a measured, back-and-forth first round, Holloway punctuated things in his favor when he landed a spinning back-kick on Gaethje, which broke his nose. The former interim lightweight champion gutted through the injury, but Holloway kept him on the back foot for most of the next few rounds. Gaethje had his best success in the fourth round, including (unofficially) dropping Holloway to the mat for the first time in the Hawaiian's UFC tenure. Holloway remained up on most scorecards heading into the fifth round, and, instead of cruising to a decision victory, the former featherweight champion pointed to the center of the Octagon. The invitation to swing until the end was accepted, and as they two threw haymakers rock-em-sock-em style, Holloway planted a right hand on Gaethje's chin and sent him face-first into the canvas.
The knockout was immediately touted as one of the greatest in UFC history and cemented Holloway's legacy as one of the baddest men to ever do it.
