“I Didn’t Realise the Belt Was…”: UFC Champ Israel Adesanya Gives Two Cents on the BMF Belt, Ahead of Fight Between Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier at UFC 291

The BMF belt is back in action. The UFC has set up a fight for Dustin Poirier to take on Justin Gaethje to fight for that belt at UFC 291 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya shared his thoughts on the return of the BMF belt in a recent video posted on his YouTube channel.

The UFC introduced the BMF title in 2019. It was introduced as a ceremonial title for the fight between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz at UFC 244. However, the title had since gotten lost in the shuffle and has never been put on the line for a fight.

Israel Adesanya opines on the return of the BMF belt

Adesanya was surprised to see that the BMF belt still existed for it to be contested in a fight. But ‘The Last Stylebender’ really liked the belt as a concept. He said, “I didn’t realize the BMF belt was still in play, but I guess, if it is, that’s cool. It’s like a title that I guess it could be here to stay.” 

When asked if Adesanya would consider fighting for the BMF title, he wanted to know what being the BMF really means. Izzy called it an anime belt. “I’m like a f***ing nerd or whatever, yeah [it is an] anime belt. Imagine that. The things I can put on that,” said Adesanya.

‘The Last Stylebender’ talks about what it means to the BMF champion

Israel Adesanya wasn’t sure about the concept of being a BMF in the UFC. He wondered if the fighters who contest for it needed to have a particular look or personality which would suit the belt. Adesanya said, “What quantifies a BMF? Is it like a look or a persona? Is it style? It is just violence? You bleed all the time every time you fight? What is it?”

His brother, David Adesanya, shared his understanding of the BMF title and claimed that it was a mix of everything. He said, “I think it’s a mix of violence and fights and then attitude as well.”

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So far, there has been only one BMF champion, and that’s Jorge ‘Gamebred’ Masvidal. It was his last win in the UFC before he retired at UFC 287. It will be interesting to see if the UFC decides to continue putting the BMF title up for grabs in future fights.

What is your take on the BMF title coming back? Let us know in the comments below.

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