BMF belt no longer ‘gimmick’ after UFC 300

Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje showcased BMF mentality at UFC 300 and validated the BMF title.

BMF belt no longer ‘gimmick’ after UFC 300

Justin Gaethje, Max Holloway, and Jorge Masvidal are the only three fighters to become a UFC BMF champion (Image via: IMAGO)

Fight fans have to thank Nate Diaz for the BMF title. After all, it was his idea to make the symbolic title a reality in the premier MMA promotion in the world. The inaugural BMF title fight between Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal at UFC 244 holds immense significance. In addition to Donald Trump attending the event, The Rock wrapped the belt around the victor. It was the first time a sitting US President attended a UFC event. 

After UFC 244, the next BMF title happened at UFC 291 between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, and like the first BMF title fight, it did not go to the third round. Gaethje’s second-round knockout victory set up an eventual clash with Max Holloway at UFC 300. Even though Gaethje and Masvidal held the BMF title, it was Max Holloway’s performance against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 that showed what BMF is all about.

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The BMF title is no longer a gimmick. At UFC 300, two elite fighters showcased incredible toughness and grit to overcome the odds. Holloway upset the odds whilst Gaethje fought through eye pokes and a broken nose. Both fighters, who consider themselves to be gladiators born in the wrong era, displayed their courage.

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From the reaction of the UFC stars in the audience, their respect for the BMF title fight was evident. Almost everyone was on their feet even before the knockout. Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov have always been critical of the BMF. Now, nobody can criticize the belt as useless or as a gimmick.

Max Holloway’s performance validates the BMF title

Max Holloway has a resume only a few can match as he already has Hall of Famers on his resume. Going into the fight against Gaethje, Holloway was a big betting underdog. However, he did not let the betting odds dictate how the fight was going down. ‘Blessed’ showed superior footwork and improved striking and looked better than ever before. If his performance against Calvin Kattar was good, his performance against Justin Gaethje was a masterclass.

Max Holloway defeated Justin Gaethje to become the BMF champion at UFC 300
Max Holloway defeated Justin Gaethje to become the BMF champion at UFC 300 (Image via Instagram)

BMF title challengers were never real champions until now. Diaz was a one-time lightweight challenger when he fought for the title. Masvidal got two title shots at welterweight after he became the BMF champion. Gaethje and Poirier were former interim lightweight champions who were unsuccessful twice each to become undisputed champions. Unlike these fighters, Holloway was a former undisputed champion at featherweight and one of the best to ever do it in the division.

Holloway had always shown the BMF mentality throughout his career. He got into UFC as a 20-year-old and had already fought Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor, 6 fights into his career. At featherweight, he had BMF-level fights against the best across three eras. Even though he is 3-0 against Alexander Volkanovski, his performance against Gaethje showed that he has grown from those fights.

What encompassed Holloway’s BMF credentials was the final 10 seconds of his fight against Gaethje. Even though he was up on the scorecards, he challenged Gaethje to stand and bang in the center of the octagon. Nobody would do that against Gaethje but Blessed isn’t just anybody. Moreover, he face-planted Gaethje, something that nobody has done. In the process, he became the only person to do that to Gaethje as well as The Korean Zombie.

Max Holloway’s BMF-level performances

Max Holloway winning the BMF belt has indeed added credibility to the symbolic title. The victory opened the doors for the Hawaiian fighter to compete in the undisputed titles in two divisions. As Dana White said, Holloway deserved to make $600K in bonuses at UFC 300. Nevertheless, it was not the first time that Holloway showed his BMF mentality.

Max Holloway The Korean Zombie
Max Holloway defeated The Korean Zombie at UFC Fight Night 225 ( Image source: Twitter )

The Hawaiin fighter flipped the script after he lost to McGregor. After the loss, he went on a 13-fight winning streak, 14 at featherweight. In his fight against Ricardo Lamas at UFC 199, Holloway challenged Lamas to stand and bang in the center of the octagon. No knockout happened, but Holloway landed the significant punches. The stellar victory earned him an interim title fight against Anthony Pettis which he won via submission.

Holloway’s two-fight series against Jose Aldo was truly the work of a BMF. Even though McGregor knocked out Aldo, nobody had made Aldo quit. In both fights, Aldo wilted under Holloway’s pressure. The BMF champion also showed his mettle when he stepped up to face Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223. However, due to excessive weight, the UFC pulled him out.

Nevertheless, Holloway faced off with Poirier at UFC 236 on relatively short notice. Despite being a weight class above, Blessed fought in his signature style but Poirier’s power was too much to handle. In his illustrious UFC career, nobody has scored a knockdown on Holloway. Gaethje appeared to have done it, but the UFC’s official stats ruled it as a slip rather than a knockdown.

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