Max Holloway thinks the BMF belt ‘would look real nice’ in his collection, teases move to 155

Max HollowayMax Holloway likes the idea of adding the BMF title to his collection. ‘Blessed’ has run roughshod over the UFC’s featherweight top-ten for years, but his inability to win the big one against reigning 145-pound king Alexander Volkanovski has Max Holloway taking a long hard look at the trajectory of his combat sports career. Not […]

Max Holloway

Max Holloway likes the idea of adding the BMF title to his collection.

‘Blessed’ has run roughshod over the UFC’s featherweight top-ten for years, but his inability to win the big one against reigning 145-pound king Alexander Volkanovski has Max Holloway taking a long hard look at the trajectory of his combat sports career. Not many men are left inside the division for Holloway to contend with, but ‘Blessed’ hopes he can get a long-awaited matchup with fan favorite Chan Sung Jung, better known by fans as Korean Zombie.

“I called him out, he answered back pretty quick, so the ball is in the UFC’s court,” Holloway said Wednesday on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. “The ball is there. I would love that. Like I said, I told everyone, from that time when WEC was coming up, I fought most of those guys. Ricardo Lamas, [Jose] Aldo, [Anthony] Pettis, Dustin Poirier. He’s one I never got yet. I never got to get him. He’s still here, still top 10 — I think he’s No. 7 or whatever — so it makes sense. One fight, I’m hearing he wants to retire, so why not go out on a bang?

“I have no idea [why it hasn’t been booked yet],” Holloway continued. “I never heard nothing. All I know is I called him out, he replied with a cute video message, so let’s figure it out” (h/t MMA Fighting).

Max Holloway Teases Potential Move to Lightweight After Scrap with Korean Zombie

While Max Holloway is chomping at the bit to cross Korean Zombie off his hit list, his future under the UFC banner still remains a mystery. Losing world title fights against Volkanovski on three separate occasions, fans are not exactly clamoring to see a fourth fight between the two. Instead, ‘Blessed’ could find himself moving up to the lightweight division where a bevy of intriguing matchups awaits. The division will also soon be home to the UFC’s official bragging rights belt, the BMF championship.

“For sure, there’s the other belts.” Holloway said. “… But it’s always better to go to a different division while you’re holding a belt. That’s just what it is. We’ll see what happens. We’ll see how July pans out, we’ll see how my next fight pans out, and we’ll see. Who knows? We saw that fun BMF belt, with Gaethje and Poirier. Me and Poirier fought two times [already] and people keep harassing me about Gaethje anyway.

“At the end of the day, that would be fun at ‘55. I know there are a lot of fun fights for me at ‘55, maybe [Charles] Oliveira two, and of course I never got to finish the thing with Khabib [Nurmagomedov] but Islam [Makhachev] is there so that would be a great thing. … We’ll see what happens. Like I said, we’ll see the lay of the land. Never say never. I know people shouting out that BMF belt. That BMF belt would look real nice in my collection.”

Max Holloway has once before competed in the lightweight division, challenging Dustin Poirier for the interim 155-pound crown at UFC 236. ‘Blessed’ came up short in their title tilt largely due to his lack of size and power at lightweight. That will undoubtedly be an issue to address before attempting to make the move on a more permanent basis.

Nate Diaz dismisses Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje BMF title fight: ‘They’re dorks, they don’t fit the criteria’

Nate Diaz dismisses Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje as BMF title challengers they're dorks UFC 291A former challenger for symbolic BMF championship spoils, UFC lightweight alum, Nate Diaz has hit out at the upcoming title fight between former interim titleholders, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje at UFC 291 in July – claiming neither fighter “fit the criteria” of deserving BMF status. Diaz, a veteran of the UFC and former lightweight […]

Nate Diaz dismisses Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje as BMF title challengers they're dorks UFC 291

A former challenger for symbolic BMF championship spoils, UFC lightweight alum, Nate Diaz has hit out at the upcoming title fight between former interim titleholders, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje at UFC 291 in July – claiming neither fighter “fit the criteria” of deserving BMF status.

Diaz, a veteran of the UFC and former lightweight title challenger, exited the organization back in November of last year, managed to depart the Octagon with a win – defeating former interim lightweight champion, Tony Ferguson with a fourth round guillotine choke submission triumph. 

Himself fighting for BMF championship spoils back in November 2019, Stockton favorite, Diaz fought former welterweight title challenger, Jorge Masvidal at Madison Square Garden at UFC 244 – ultimately dropping a third round doctor’s stoppage TKO loss in New York City.

Nate Diaz scoffs at Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje BMF fight next month

And sharing his thoughts on next month’s UFC 291 headliner between Poirier and Gaethje – which features BMF spoils up for grabs, Diaz has scoffed at the two participants who are competing for the accolade.

“Yeah, I don’t feel they [Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje] fit the criteria [to fight for a BMF championship],” Nate Diaz said during a recent Q&A session. “I’m good. Yeah, they’re dorks.”

“(Dustin) Poirier, and (Justin) Gaethje, right?” Nate Diaz questioned. “What’re you talking about?” (Transcribed by MMA News)

First fighting back in April 2018 in the main event of UFC Fight Night Glendale, former interim lightweight champion, Poirier handed Gaethje an eventual fourth round standing TKO loss on enemy territory. 

Last time out, Poirier submitted former lightweight title challenger, Michael Chandler at UFC 281 in November of last year with a third round rear-naked choke win. 

As for Gaethje, the veteran fan-favorite landed himself back in the winner’s enclosure with a close, majority decision win over Rafael Fiziev at UFC 286 back in March in a co-main event clash in England. 

Daniel Cormier digs at ex-UFC star Jorge Masvidal, says BMF title will now ‘Mean something’ amid his retirement

Jorge Masvidal BMF title will mean something now he's retired UFC Daniel CormierDaniel Cormier says the BMF championship will finally mean something now that Jorge Masvidal doesn’t have it. On July 29, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will square off in a long-awaited rematch, headlining the promotion’s return to Salt Lake City. Adding to the intrigue of the contest, the two leather-slinging lightweights will battle it out […]

Jorge Masvidal BMF title will mean something now he's retired UFC Daniel Cormier

Daniel Cormier says the BMF championship will finally mean something now that Jorge Masvidal doesn’t have it.

On July 29, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will square off in a long-awaited rematch, headlining the promotion’s return to Salt Lake City. Adding to the intrigue of the contest, the two leather-slinging lightweights will battle it out for the vacant BMF title.

The BMF championship was first introduced when self-proclaimed “bad motherf*cker” Nate challenged “another bad motherf*cker” named Jorge Masvidal. Shortly after, the two men were booked for a main event clash at UFC 244, but with no legitimate UFC championship on the line, the promotion introduced the BMF title, giving both men something to fight for. ‘Gamebred’ won the bout via a third-round doctor’s stoppage, becoming the inaugural BMF titleholder. Unfortunately, Masvidal never once defended the title. If he had, his reign would have been short-lived as he would go on to drop his next four contests en route to retirement.

With the not-quite-real-but-real-enough title now vacated, the UFC is aiming to crown a new champion next month with Poirier vs. Gaethje 2. Speaking about the history of the title, Daniel Cormier questioned whether or not the new titleholder will actually defend the belt, unlike Jorge Masvidal who simply opted to sit on it and use it as bragging rights for the next four years.

“I ask you this question,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “Is this new champion going to defend the BMF title? I believe that these two athletes would go up, they would fight at 155, and they would defend that belt. Because if we’re gonna keep rolling it out, it has to become a thing that gets put on the line. Especially if these guys aren’t fighting for championships.”

Jorge Masvidal’s Reign as BMF Champion Amounted to Very Little

After becoming the BMF champion, Jorge Masvidal came up short in back-to-back UFC title fights with former champion Kamaru Usman. Nearly a year removed from his second defeat to ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’, Masvidal returned for another main event scrap with bitter rival Colby Covington at UFC 272. Despite no UFC title being up for grabs, ‘Gamebred’ opted to leave his BMF title safely at home. He did so once again against Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 in April, losing a unanimous decision to Gilbert Burns.

Speaking about Jorge Masvidal’s inactive reign as the BMF champion, Daniel Cormier seemingly delivered a veiled dig at the former welterweight fan favorite, suggesting that with the BMF belt out of his hands, it finally has the chance to mean something.

“Masvidal didn’t seem to want to defend that championship even though people called for it many times. Is ‘The Rock’ gonna be there again and make it feel as important as it did in Madison Square? The winner is going to set themselves up for another crack at the championship with Makhachev being the champ…It’s always easier guys, to call for a title fight when you’re carrying a belt on your shoulders. And that’s exactly what one of these two are gonna do in Salt Lake City. But let’s not not defend the BMF championship, because now it means something.”

Are you excited to see the BMF title back in the mix? Does it add anything to Poirier vs. Gaethje 2? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk Willing to Unretire for Women’s ‘BMF’ Title Fight

Joanna JedrzejczykFollowing her second straight loss to Zhang Weili at UFC 275, former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk called it a career, leaving her gloves in the Octagon and officially announcing her retirement from the sport. “I’m retired guys. I love you so much, thank you for this opportunity,” Jedrzejczyk said in her post-fight interview. One month […]

Joanna Jedrzejczyk

Following her second straight loss to Zhang Weili at UFC 275, former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk called it a career, leaving her gloves in the Octagon and officially announcing her retirement from the sport.

“I’m retired guys. I love you so much, thank you for this opportunity,” Jedrzejczyk said in her post-fight interview.

One month removed from her retirement, ‘Joanna Violence’ is already talking about a potential return to the Octagon. In an interview with MMA Fighting, Jedrzejczyk discussed taking part in a women’s ‘BMF’ title fight.

“Maybe I could come back for the female ‘BMF’ title,” Jedrzejczyk said. “Look, I’m retired. I am retired, but in the future, maybe I would fight for the ‘BFMF’ [belt]. I don’t know [who I would fight], there’s not that many ‘BFMF,’ real O.G. female fighters left.”

Joanna Jedrzejczyk Plans to Continue Working With The UFC

Still getting used to the idea of being retired, Joanna Jedrzejczyk doesn’t plan to stray far from the UFC. While she hasn’t had the opportunity to sit down with UFC president Dana White, the Olsztyn, Poland native hopes to continue working with the promotion in some capacity.

“After Singapore, I got back home for six nights only. After my fight, I went to Europe for six days, then [Las Vegas] for three days, so I haven’t had time to sit and think about my retirement and my life in general. I’m happy, but it’s still hard. It’s hard for me to digest,” Jedrzejczyk said.

“I want to stick with the UFC. I’m looking forward to sitting down with Dana White to talk about my future, what I could possibly do for the UFC and the fans because there’s no sport without fans — any sport — and I’m very happy to be [at events], be around the fans, and I definitely see myself doing something with the UFC — broadcasting, commentating, just being around.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk became the promotion’s first Polish world champion when she defeated Carla Esparza at UFC 185 in 2015. She would go on to successfully defend the title five times. She ended her career as a mixed martial artist with a record of 16-5-0.

What’s next for Jorge Masvidal and the BMF title?

jorge masvidalAlthough he’s a veteran of MMA, Jorge Masvidal propelled himself to the mainstream in 2019 after a 16-month layoff. He put together 3 consecutive victories, including a record-breaking fastest knockout in the UFC over Ben Askren, and defeating Nate Diaz (via doctor stoppage TKO) for the BMF belt, specially commissioned by Dana White exclusively for […]

jorge masvidal

Although he’s a veteran of MMA, Jorge Masvidal propelled himself to the mainstream in 2019 after a 16-month layoff. He put together 3 consecutive victories, including a record-breaking fastest knockout in the UFC over Ben Askren, and defeating Nate Diaz (via doctor stoppage TKO) for the BMF belt, specially commissioned by Dana White exclusively for that fight.

UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman was scheduled to defend his title against Gilbert Burns, but due to COVID-19 complications, Burns was removed from the UFC 251 card. Jorge Masvidal stepped up as a challenger with only 6-days short notice, and despite losing the fight via judge’s decision, Masvidal gave an impressive performance in the early rounds.

MMA fans are wondering what’s next for Gamebred, and we’re going to speculate on some of his options.

Conor McGregor

A fight that many would love to see, as both McGregor and Masvidal have hinted at a possible matchup between them in the past. Masvidal has called out McGregor previously, and McGregor poked fun at Masvidal’s choice of wardrobe at UFC 246, while also agreeing that a fight between them would be a “mega-money” fight, and that he [McGregor] would add the BMF belt to his list. If this fight ever took place, you would expect sites like Casumo to be quite happy at offering odds.

Sadly, this fight may never materialize, as Dana White has been adamant that Conor McGregor is retired. When asked about a potential fight between McGregor and Masvidal, Dana White replied: “I don’t know. I don’t know how many times I gotta say, Conor McGregor is retired.”

Kamaru Usman

If you ask Gamebred himself who he wants to fight next, his mind is definitely set on a rematch for Kamaru Usman’s welterweight championship. Speaking to ESPN, Masvidal said:

‘Usman obviously, it’s a no-brainer. Could they offer me bigger names and pay me more money? Yes. For a fact. But if it’s up to me, Usman. You could tell me that McGregor right now would make X, Y, Z dollars, the biggest pay-per-view event in history right, and I’m going to get paid forever.

I feel like I got compensated well enough now, that I keep making the right decisions that I’ve been doing, then this money is forever money. So it’s not about money. It’s about I want that damn belt and I’m stubborn. I know I’m better than Usman and I want to prove it. I want to fight again.”

However, Kamaru Usman is currently facing a possible 6-month medical suspension, so if you factor that along with a suitable training camp time for both fighters, it could be a while before a rematch is seen.

Colby Covington

Covington and Masvidal have somewhat of a history of bad blood, being former teammates at American Top Team, and having nothing nice to say about each other for quite a long time. The former interim welterweight champion, who was also defeated by Kamaru Usman in his last fight, put both Usmaru and Masvidal’s performances on blast after UFC 251:

“I wanted to watch it but then I fell asleep. It was so boring. It was a hug-fest and they were playing footsie the whole time. That wasn’t a real fight. Marty Fakenewsman’s stock went way down in the fight. He is definitely the most boring fighter in the history of the UFC.”

However, Covington has been quite vocal about wanting to fight Tyron Woodley, and the UFC has reportedly been hard at work putting that fight together. So it’s still not out of the realm of possibility that Masvidal and Covington could meet in the octagon, it doesn’t look like it will happen just yet.

Nate Diaz

Masvidal was disappointed at winning the BMF belt via doctor stoppage, and has been vocal about wanting a rematch with Nate Diaz, to give Diaz a fair opportunity at finishing the fight. While speaking to Ariel Helwani prior to UFC 251, Masvidal said that Nate Diaz is one of two people who are heavy on his radar:

“There are two guys on my radar heavy. Nate is one of them. No matter what, it was a good fight. Me and the world didn’t get the results that we wanted. I know Nate wants to run it back. Speaking from the heart, I wanna run it back. When I get this title nothing would be better to give him the opportunity. He gave me the fight for his BMF belt. Come on. Come fight for this belt now. I’ll hand him over the favor.”

However, after the results of UFC 251, Masvidal definitely has his sights set on a rematch with Usman. If Usman ends up taking a 6-month medical suspension, Masvidal and Diaz could meet again in the meantime, though it would hurt Masvidal’s claims for a rematch with Usman if Diaz defeated him in a second fight.

What’s up with the BMF title?

No matter who Masvidal fights next, many fans are also wondering just what exactly the UFC and Masvidal plan to do with the BMF title belt. Masvidal didn’t put it on the line against Kamaru Usman at UFC 251, and Dana White mentioned to reporters that, even though Usman was blowing up his phone asking about Masvidal putting up the BMF title, White was firm that it was a “one and done” belt created uniquely for the Masvidal / Diaz bout.

It’s pretty much entirely up to Masvidal what happens with the BMF belt, so while he didn’t put it on the line against Usman, it may be because he’s holding onto it for the possible rematch with Nate Diaz.

UFC Selling Replicas Of Jorge Masvidal’s BMF Belt

BMFYou can now purchase your very own replica of Jorge Masvidal’s BMF title for a limited time. Following his successful return against Anthony Pettis in August, Nate Diaz challenged Masvidal to see who the baddest motherf*cker was. The UFC cashed in on the matchup as the pair headlined Madison Square Garden for UFC 244 in […]

BMF

You can now purchase your very own replica of Jorge Masvidal’s BMF title for a limited time.

Following his successful return against Anthony Pettis in August, Nate Diaz challenged Masvidal to see who the baddest motherf*cker was. The UFC cashed in on the matchup as the pair headlined Madison Square Garden for UFC 244 in November.

A special one-time BMF belt was even made for the fight with UFC president Dana White claiming it cost $50,000 to design.

Although the fight ended in controversial fashion due to a doctor stoppage, Masvidal was dominant throughout the three rounds and ended up becoming crowned the inaugural BMF champion.

And you can now purchase the belt for a limited time on UFCStore.com which is selling it for a steep $850.

“The ‘BMF’ Replica Belt is a limited offer so don’t miss your chance to own a piece of UFC history,” the product description reads. “Photos of belt shown are of actual belt and not the replica belt offered. This truly is a ‘Bad Mother F*#@ing’ belt!!! It’s a one a kind, and it takes a BMF to own one!”

White had previously claimed the BMF was a one-off title but with Conor McGregor claiming he wanted the belt, there is certainly a possibility we could see the BMF title defended.

If not, McGregor could simply just buy one as well.

Will you be buying the BMF replica title?