Photo by Michael Owens/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC
While many are elated at the fact that Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) went through with its plans to create an actual “BMF” title to present to the winner of Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal on Nov. 2, 2019 at UFC 244, some just aren’t feeling it.
Among them is former UFC Lightweight champion and current Bellator MMA combatant, Ben Henderson. While “Bendo” isn’t exactly trashing the “made up” title, he does find it hilarious because when you peel back all of the promotional layers, the fight between Diaz and Masvidal doesn’t really mean all that much in the grand scheme of things.
“They can put the millions of dollars behind promotion, that’s their job, what they are supposed to do. They are a promotion company so their job is to promote things and say, ‘This is a huge fight!’ When you look at it, in reality it doesn’t really mean anything. There is no title on the line,” said Henderson while speaking to MMA Fighting.
“There’s a made up title on the line, someone just told me like five minutes ago there is that belt on the line. That’s hilarious. It’s awesome, good for those guys it’s great, but it’s hilarious.”
Still, Henderson makes it clear he has no ill will toward UFC, Nate or Jorge and is glad that one of them will walk away with a $50,000 strap. But it’s the promotion that is doing a better job at getting people to care about the fight, making it seem bigger than what it really is.
“But that’s what you do as a promotion. That is their job, so if you say, ‘It’s the BMF title, we put $50,000 behind making a belt,’ that is because it’s their job, to get you to care about it, to watch it, when really it’s not that big of a deal of a fight.” he said before backtracking just a tad.
“It is, great for those guys. But UFC’s job is to spin it, create the thing for more people to watch. They do a great job of that. But for Nate and Jorge, good for them, I am happy for them. I like both those dues, their camps, it’s awesome and I am happy for them.”
Interestingly enough, Henderson has wins over both men, defeating Nate at UFC on FOX 5 in 2012 to retain his 155 pound strap, while narrowly edging out Masvidal three years later via split decision at UFC Fight Night 79, which just so happened to be “Smooth’s” last fight under the UFC banner.
Henderson will face fellow UFC castaway Miles Jury at this weekend’s (Sat., Sept. 27, 2019) Bellator 227 event in Dublin, Ireland (details here).