UFC 325: BMF Belt Controversy
UFC 325's BMF title bout had a disputed decision, sparking debate on scoring criteria and officiating standards [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv1upEw1RYs, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS_SVd11IsI]. Which fighter was awarded the BMF belt?
The BMF ("Baddest Mother F*er") belt was originally created in 2019 to hype the UFC 244 fight between Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal. Diaz proclaimed himself the "baddest motherf*er" after defeating Anthony Pettis at UFC 241. He then challenged Jorge Masvidal, who was cageside. UFC President Dana White initially resisted creating a BMF belt but eventually gave in due to fan and fighter pressure. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson presented the inaugural BMF belt to Masvidal after he defeated Diaz via doctor stoppage at UFC 244. The fight was stopped due to a significant cut over Diaz's eye. After Masvidal retired in 2023, the BMF title was revived at UFC 291 for a bout between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje. Gaethje won by knockout. Max Holloway then defeated Gaethje at UFC 300 to claim the BMF title. The BMF belt is not tied to any weight class or ranking. It is meant to celebrate a fighter's toughness, aggression, and fighting spirit. Some believe that the BMF belt is cursed, as every champion has lost their next fight via knockout.
