Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC
ZUFFA LLC want to monetize the term ‘BMF’ and prevent anyone else from doing the same.
On September 11th ZUFFA LLC, owners of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, filed paperwork in an attempt to trademark the terms ‘BMF’ and ‘Baddest Motherfucker’. The term has become common parlance in MMA thanks to mostly Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal.
ZUFFA filed for a variety of trademarks connected to these terms. Here’s a breakdown of each of them:
BADDEST MOTHERFUCKER (serial number 88613208)
Goods and Services:
Entertainment services, namely, live stage shows and performances featuring sports and mixed martial arts; entertainment services, namely, providing online computer games, video games and electronic games; providing information, news and commentary in the field of sports and mixed martial arts
International Class:
041 – Education; providing of training; entertainment; sporting and cultural activities. – Education; providing of training; entertainment; sporting and cultural activities.
BADDEST MOTHERFUCKER (serial number 88613114)
Goods and Services:
Toy championship belts; toy mixed martial arts belts; toy figures and accessories therefor; action figures and accessories therefor; play sets for action figures and toy figures; and video game consoles
International Class:
028 – Games and playthings; gymnastic and sporting articles not included in other classes; decorations for Christmas trees. – Games and playthings; gymnastic and sporting articles not included in other classes; decorations for Christmas trees.
BADDEST MOTHERFUCKER (serial number 88613069)
Goods and Services:
Championship belts; championship trophy belts
International Class:
025 – Clothing, footwear, headgear. – Clothing, footwear, headgear.
BMF (serial number 88613032)
Goods and Services:
Entertainment services, namely, live stage shows and performances featuring sports and mixed martial arts; entertainment services, namely, providing online computer games, video games and electronic games; providing information, news and commentary in the field of sports and mixed martial arts
International Class:
041 – Education; providing of training; entertainment; sporting and cultural activities. – Education; providing of training; entertainment; sporting and cultural activities.
BMF (serial number 88612863)
Goods and Services:
Toy championship belts; toy mixed martial arts belts; toy figures and accessories therefor; action figures and accessories therefor; play sets for action figures and toy figures; and video game consoles
International Class:
028 – Games and playthings; gymnastic and sporting articles not included in other classes; decorations for Christmas trees. – Games and playthings; gymnastic and sporting articles not included in other classes; decorations for Christmas trees.
BMF (serial number 88612833)
Goods and Services:
Championship belts; championship trophy belts
International Class:
025 – Clothing, footwear, headgear. – Clothing, footwear, headgear.
BMF (serial number 88612770)
Goods and Services:
Jewelry; key chains
International Class:
014 – Precious metals and their alloys and goods in precious metals or coated therewith, not included in other classes; jewellery, precious stones; horological and chronometric instruments. – Precious metals and their alloys and goods in precious metals or coated therewith, not included in other classes; jewellery, precious stones; horological and chronometric instruments.
Based on these applications it appears that ZUFFA is interested in creating and selling merchandise emblazoned with the letters ‘BMF’ or the words ‘Baddest Motherfucker’.
The applications cover a wide range of potential uses, including footwear, Christmas tree decorations and action figures. Interestingly the trademark applications do hint at intentions to make belts marked with those terms.
UFC President Dana White is on record stating he would like to create a special ‘BMF’ title belt for the proposed match-up between welterweights Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal at November 2nd’s UFC 244. These trademark applications show that White may be following through on his intentions.
Use of the term ‘BMF’ grew in popularity within MMA culture thanks to the recent performances of Masvidal and Diaz.
Diaz began laying claim to the ‘BMF’ title after his beating of Anthony Pettis at UFC 241 last month. In the post-fight press conference Diaz stated:
“No one’s showing any acknowledgement for being the best fighter in the world. Which I am, just like Masvidal. I’m the best martial artist. We’re not just some ‘hold on to me wrestlers,’ who will hold you and hopefully win a round, finding a loophole to winning these fights and put a belt on their waist. Now we’re fighting for the baddest motherf—ker in the game belt. And that’s mine! So I’d like to defend that against Jorge Masvidal, so if he wants to be the baddest motherf—ker, that’s how we gonna do it.”
Masvidal was on Diaz’s mind that night thanks to his headline-grabbing highlight finish over Ben Askren at UFC 239 in July.
Now it appears as though ‘BMF’ is on the precipice of crossing over into the mainstream with the term potentially about to land on official UFC merch. If the UFC is successful with its applications they will not only be able to monetize the terms, but they will also be able to prevent anyone else from doing the same — including those who popularized the term; including fighters (most notably), media, and fans.
Though, it should be noted that getting a trademark doesn’t mean the term will bring in lots of cash. For examples of a ZUFFA owned trademark that never got traction, look no further than the infamous CHICKEN MONSTER (logo seen here).