In the glitzy and glorious world of the UFC, the extraordinary BMF belt has always piqued the attention of the MMA faithful. Despite not being an official belt representing a weight class, the sheer quality of fights and fighters that vie for the belt has propelled it into one of the most glamorous attractions of the UFC. Now Dustin Poirier has given a new meaning to the BMF title, with a proposal that put 4 fighters together in the Octagon, fighting for the belt. Surprisingly, Dana White seemed pretty excited about the prospect. 

However, the first contender for the BMF belt wasn’t happy with the names revolving around the match. After the UFC head honcho reacted to Poirier’s idea positively, Nate Diaz was left with no choice but to step in as one of the contenders to fight for the special belt. But one condition of his had the world of mixed martial arts in shock.

Nate Diaz puts forward his demands to Dana White for his entry into the BMF title scene

Back in UFC 291, ‘The Diamond’ lost to Justin Gaethje, losing the chance to don the BMF belt around his waist as the rightful heir. But the lightweight fighter hasn’t stopped dreaming about it. Knowing that he doesn’t have many fights left in his career, Poirier proposed a 4-man bout to compete for the belt at the same time. 

Talking to MMA Today, the former interim lightweight champion said, “That excites me because that kind of stuff is for the dogs, man. That’s like the old PRIDE days or grand prixs, you know? That’s a real BMF. If you can fight in a tournament in one night, multiple opponents, I mean, dude, that’s kind of the definition of a BMF.”

The names that have begun to revolve around the BMF belt are Max Holloway, Dan Hooker, Gaethje, and of course, Poirier himself. As soon as the UFC head honcho learned of the proposal, he expressed his delight. Such a matchup has the potential to entertain the fans by putting on a one-of-a-kind spectacle. During a post-fight press conference at DWCS season 8, the UFC CEO said, “Sounds fun. Never thought about it, but yeah, I love it.”

However, Nate Diaz wasn’t happy with Dana White’s words. The Stockton native acknowledged Holloway and Hooker as fighters worthy of carrying the BMF belt. After all, ‘Blessed’ showcased his power at UFC 300 by knocking ‘The Highlight’ out in the very last moment and claiming the belt. But when it came to Poirier and Gaethje, Diaz seemed to think that he was better suited to compete for the belt. Taking to X, Diaz wrote, “@danawhite Dan and max are eligible for my belt but get the other 2 nerds out of there they don’t fit the description.”

While the debate around the BMF belt raises discussion in the fighting community, let’s take a look at the previous owners of the belt. After all, it’s a one-and-done kind of fight. 

A brief history of the UFC BMF belt

The story of the BMF champion began with the beef between Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal. It was UFC 244 that witnessed the first-ever BMF championship fight, and it was nothing short of a phenomenon. The bout went on for 3 rounds before it had to be stopped by the cage-side doctors. Masvidal had gifted the Stockton native with a nasty gash above his eye and the excessive blood loss forced the doctors to intervene at the end of the third round. This ensured that the ‘Street Jesus’ became the very first BMF champion in the UFC. 

Thereafter, ‘Gamebred’ left the position vacant following his retirement, and the MMA promotion put in Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje against each other at UFC 291. This, too, ended with a finish, as Gaethje sent a kick to the head that put Poirier out for good. And it all happened in the second round of the bout. Finally, it was Holloway who became the third BMF champion after defeating Gaethje with a last-moment KO at UFC 300. This was a move that sent shockwaves throughout the MMA realm. No wonder Diaz wanted to fight Holloway for the belt. 

What are your thoughts on Diaz’s condition? Do you think Poirier’s idea has the potential to truly determine the BMF champion? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.