In the underbelly of mixed martial arts, where blood and bravado are deified as hallmarks of machismo, the BMF belt of the UFC emerged not from the polished halls of championship tradition, but from sheer toughness and determination.
And fittingly, it was Nate Diaz, that brooding maverick with ink etched into his skin like chapters of defiance, who first breathed life into the concept.
Indeed, long before he even stepped into the octagon lights, Diaz had lived the life of a “baddass” ethos in the gyms and back alleys of his California hometown and there is no better warrior who personifies what a BMF should be.
UFC 241. The spark first ignited in the summer of 2019, at UFC 241, when Diaz returned from a three-year exile to dominate Anthony Pettis. And as the crowd roared in the aftermath, Diaz seized the microphone, his voice cutting through the arena like a switchblade and called out Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal, the Miami street fighter fresh off a record-shattering five-second knockout of Ben Askren.
“I’m the baddest mother*ucker in the game,” Diaz declared, planting the seed for a belt borne not in a corporate boardroom but etched out of unadulterated violence.
Ever the opportunist, UFC CEO Dana White, immediately commissioned a silver strap embossed with “BMF,” a symbol for the warrior who personified the concept.
MASVIDAL. True enough, the inaugural clash at UFC 244 was between Diaz and Masvidal — two renegades whose personalities are as smooth as a barbed wire fence. That bout ended with some controversy — a doctor’s stoppage in the third round in favor of Masvidal.
Yet, inexplicably there was no follow-up fight to the BMF belt, and so the the title vanished into dormancy — dismissed by some as some sort of gimmick.
GAETJE. Four years would pass before UFC 291 where Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier would challange for it. These two protagnists also had careers that were symphonies of violence. With no formal championship at stake, the BMF resurfaced as a fitting surrogate.
In the second round, Gaethje unleashed a head kick on Poirier who crumpled to the canvas in a knockout that evoked the BMF mystique.
HOLLOWAY. The BMF saga cotinued at UFC 300 where Gaethje defended against Max Holloway, the Hawaiian phenom known as “Blessed,”known for his volume strking.
Holloway absorbed Gaethje’s onslaught and in the dying seconds lured him into a frenzied exchange. With about a second left, Holloway landed a right hand that sent Gaethje into oblivion — a knockout for the ages that legitimized the legends surrounding the belt.
OLIVIERA. Last weekend at UFC 326, Holloway faced off against Charles Oliveira, the Brazilian submission savant whose comebacks were the stuff of folklore. That fight pitted Holloway’s iron chin and determination against Oliveira’s guile, and this time, Oliviera emerged victorious via unanimous decision. This Last Rounder is a big fan of Oliviera and I can’t wait for him to defend against worthy BMF opponents.
The BMF is a nice counter-point to the usual rhetoric about rankings and contenders. It has evolved into a saga of its own and reminds us that the fight game may not necessarily be measured in gold but in the true test of who indeed is the baddest among the bad.
LAST ROUND. It’s on one of my dearest friends, Edge Genosa — now based in Boston, who recently celebrated his birthday. Cheers!