The State of The 'BMF Title'

photo creds: Oddschecker.com

This weekend, at UFC 245 at Madison Square Garden, we get a to see an all-time fan favorite headliner between two of the purest mixed martial artists on roster. South Florida streetfighter prodigy Jorge Masvidal squares up against Stockton’s own Nate Diaz in a Welterweight main event that has new implications for the UFC. Neither fighter holds a belt in their respective divisions, but a new and unique belt is on the line, bringing bragging rights and prize fighting to the forefront of the UFC with the debut of the ‘BMF Belt’. The idea behind the belt, which stands for “Bad Mother F****r Belt,” fits everything about the main event this weekend, as Dana White and the UFC have gone all-in on making this a fight for the fans – something that doesn’t usually grant a main event slot at MSG, the mecca of sports, on one of the largest cards of the year.

Fittingly, both fighters have earned the spotlight, as the idea of ‘prize fighting’ is alive and well if this ‘BMF Belt’ sticks around. The idea is fun, creative, and generates a lot of excitement between the fans and fighters alike, as there are plenty of fighters who claim to be the ‘baddest’ in their division. For an inaugural fight for this made-up title, you can’t get any better than Masvidal versus Diaz; however, this opens the door for many exciting fights in the future. I believe this is a fantastic idea for the UFC as this gives an opportunity for fighters to staple their name in a division and climb up the rankings, or simply throw down for bragging rights. The idea at first seemed a little shaky to me, but the way the UFC and both fighters have promoted it and carried themselves throughout the months leading up has generated plenty of hype and excitement. The future of this belt could hold plenty of implications for exciting fights, as a plethora of names already come to mind when thinking of the fights the UFC could put together for the ‘BMF Belt’. First and foremost, we have a treat this weekend to see who gets to put their hands on the newly created belt first, which to make things even more interesting, will be presented to the winner by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

This fight is uncharacteristic for the UFC, as it is testing true prize fighting without championship implications for the first time in its recent history. Prize fighting is something typically found in boxing, where you pair two of the greats and have them fight for the fans, for the money, or for bragging rights. A great example of this would be when Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor squared off in a boxing match, with both fighters going on a ‘media world tour’ where they hyped up the fight for months before stepping in the ring. This fight at UFC 244 has a lot of the same feel, as a majority of the high profile fights we see pair up champions versus champions or talented champions from other organizations fighting to ‘unify’ belts with the UFC brass. This main event on Saturday, November 2nd has money and excitement written all over it and I’m here for it. You have Jorge Masvidal, who grew up in the streets of South Florida making a living off backyard street fights, going up against Nate Diaz, who basically dedicated his life solely to fighting. Both are no-nonsense fighters who are pure, honest and tough as nails. I think this is the right move for the UFC as both are coming off memorable performances and both are going to go toe-to-toe on Saturday. Neither fighter has superior physique or looks the athletic type, but their grit and tenacity separate them from the others. I expect a high volume and five rounds of back and forth violence. In short, the UFC hit it right on the head by marketing a new and unique belt, making this one of the most historic events in UFC history. The world is excited to see who walks away as the baddest MF’er on roster.