The BMF title is being resurrected and Jorge Masvidal is all for it.
‘Gamebred’ won the inaugural ‘baddest motherf*cker’ belt back in 2019, where he defeated Stockton slugger Nate Diaz by doctor stoppage. Years after winning the UFC’s rarest title, Masvidal has hung up the gloves after a decision loss to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 in April.
Masvidal might be retired, but the BMF belt is being brought back into the fold. The UFC recently announced that lightweight warriors Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will collide for the vacant title in the headliner of UFC 291 later this month.
Masvidal Reacts To Poirier vs. Gaethje 2
The first BMF Champion doesn’t seem to mind that his title is back on the line.
“I love it, keep it alive,” Masvidal said on The MMA Hour. “Pick the right fighters to do it that are gonna f*cking give their life. The first BMF fight you got to see what it should be about, guys trying to kill each other and no matter what, pushing forward through it. Because if the referee doesn’t stop that, I literally would have to kill Nate Diaz cuz he was gonna keep coming, keep coming and keep coming. I was more than ready to kill him.
“But, that’s what it needs to be like when you get in there. You gotta understand man, you gotta go for it all. You gotta put on a show for these motherf*ckers around the world. I think they picked the right two candidates to do that.”
Who Wins?
When asked for his prediction on the Poirier-Gaethje rematch, Masvidal isn’t exactly unbiased as Poirier is one of his teammates at American Top Team. Nevertheless, Masvidal expects ‘The Diamond’ to shine at UFC 291.
“Obviously I’m leaning heavy towards Dustin,” Masvidal stated. “Not just cause he whooped his ass the first time and mopped him up, but I think he’s gonna do it the second time and even better and cleaner. Dustin’s just good bro. And he keeps getting better, bro. I’m in the gym, I see him. This guy’s just getting better man.
“I think he’s gonna hit Gaethje cause Gaethje’s gonna be trying to catch up from all the mistakes that he did last time: ‘let me not do this and let me do that’. But without saying too much, I think D’s gonna catch him by some prize with some new things that he’s got on in the works there and it’s gonna end up being a great fight. My boy Dustin, DP, add another belt to his collection. It’s gonna be a great night, man.”
Chatting With The UFC
Masvidal wasn’t really involved in the UFC’s conversation to bring back the BMF belt. However, the promotion did follow up with their 10-year veteran in the weeks after their initial announcement.
“They asked me to do some interviews and stuff like that. We didn’t get around to it. But it’s not like they told me or anything, like formally. They just told me, after the fight got announced like two weeks later, then they told me, Hey, do you wanna do these interviews and stuff? At the end of the day it’s not like knowing or not knowing does anything. It’s not like my yes or my no means anything. It’s a company, it’s a business and they run in and call the final shots. I’m even happy that they ask me for any of my input as far as like if I wanna do interviews and things leading up to it.”
Masvidal Wants To Start A BMF Tradition
‘Gamebred’ would love to be present for the second BMF title bout, potentially presenting the belt to the winner just like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson did to him at UFC 244 all those years ago.
“I will not be there for that one,” Masvidal revealed. “I really wanna [be], I’ll be watching live for sure on a TV or on my phone, but I will not get to be there physically in person for that one.
“Dana, let me, let me go over there, put the belt on Dustin’s waist. Let’s do it. Dana, Hunter [Cambell], come on. Make it happen… Then, Dustin gives a belt to the next [BMF] guy. It’s called tradition.”
