The “BMF” championship is up for grabs at UFC 300 on April 13, 2024, in Las Vegas. But, what exactly is the belt, anyway?
From flyweight to heavyweight, and women’s strawweight to bantamweight, one fighter holds each divisional title. But, the BMF belt is a ceremonious championship awarded to a combatant who proves to be the promotion’s “baddest motherf*****” — which is what the BMF acronym stands for.
The one-of-a-kind belt was first introduced in 2019 at UFC 244. Mixed martial arts superstar Nate Diaz essentially willed the title into existence after putting a beatdown on ex-UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis a few months prior.
During his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Diaz called out Jorge Masvidal — another big name who had recently earned the fastest knockout in organizational history. He said he wanted to defend his “belt” against “Gamebred,” and the rest was history.
The duel was booked for UFC 244 with the inaugural BMF title on the line.
UFC CEO Dana White told the media ahead of the scrap that because Diaz insinuated that the fight would crown the “baddest motherf***** in the game,” he chose to create the non-divisional title.
Diaz and Masvidal eventually fought for it at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and Gamebred came out on top. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wrapped the belt around Masvidal’s waist, and he held the ceremonious title until last year when he announced his retirement.
Although it seemed like there’d never be another BMF affair, the belt was placed back on the line. Two new action fighters — former UFC interim lightweight champs Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier — contested for it in July 2023 at UFC 291. Like Diaz and Masvidal, the two athletes are known for their brutal matches and electric striking styles, and Gaethje became the second man to hoist the BMF belt inside the Octagon.
So, what’s next for the baddest mo’fo?
“The Highlight” will become the first fighter to ever defend the BMF championship — Masvidal vacated it post-retirement. At the time of this writing, the structure of UFC 300’s card is still unclear, but Gaethje and former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway will battle as the night’s likely co-main event.
Holloway holds the record for most significant strikes landed in a UFC match, and he absolutely qualifies as a BMF contender. The fight is scheduled at 155 pounds, so Max will take a trip up a weight class in an attempt to dethrone Gaethje.
No matter how the match plays out, it’s also unclear if the UFC will continue putting on BMF matches. UFC 300 is a tent pole event, and they’ve been padding it with barn-burner match after barn-burner match. So, it could be true that the BMF title was some extra spice they sprinkled onto the card, and will serve as its swan song. Or, it’s another iteration of the fan-favorite title match, and another chapter in the belt’s legacy.
