When the bmf-title" class="tag-link">BMF title was first created by the UFC in 2019, there were various split opinions about the championship. Some called it genius, some called it a gimmick. But it seemed that such a belt was a one-and-done matter.
But since then, there have been two other BMF title fights in the UFC and two more BMF champions -- all within the last two years. And the title will be on the line again come this Saturday at UFC 318, when Dustin Poirier challenges BMF titleholder Max Holloway in the retirement fight for "The Diamond."
This has led to a lot of speculation and debate about the legitimacy of such a title (from the perspective of it being a sanctioned championship) -- and if it's worth the time and money of both the UFC and its fans.
MMA analyst and personality Luke Thomas sat down with Submission Radio recently and shared his thoughts about the belt. In spite of some feeling that the BMF title would be retired alongside Poirier should he win, Thomas suggests that this won't be the last we see of such a strap.
In fact, Thomas goes as far as to say with the UFC's event schedule, they need such a thing.
"No, they need it. UFC needs it," Thomas said. "They need another belt in rotation just to put at the top of this of these pay-per-views. They can't maintain, again, I'm gonna say it again, they can't maintain their pay-per-view schedule.
Luke Thomas: UFC Event Schedule, Dependency On Title Fights For PPVs Is At Fault For Continued Use Of BMF Title
The BMF title was first created for the UFC 244 clash between Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal. Masvidal won the championship with a third-round doctor's stoppage TKO, giving him the belt, which was strapped around him by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
In July 2023, to the surprise of plenty, the BMF belt was brought back in a fight involving Poirier, as he and Justin Gaethje fought for the title in the main event of UFC 291. Gaethje won the bout with a devastating head-kick knockout.
Gaethje would then face Holloway with the title on the line at UFC 300, with Holloway winning the fight with his legendary last-second knockout of Gaethje.
The BMF title, however, was not on the line when Holloway fought and lost to Ilia Topuria in UFC 308's featherweight title main event.
While Thomas admitted to Submission Radio that such a situation is "wishy-washy," it's not going to take away from the UFC's decision to continue to use the championship. He cited the UFC's need in this modern era for a championship to be on the line in the main event of almost every UFC pay-per-view -- compared to when the UFC could promote a pay-per-view with a non-title main event (and one not featuring Conor McGregor for that matter) in previous years.
"You might say, 'Hey, I don't need a belt on the top of every card.' But the UFC doesn't believe that," Thomas said. "They believe that they have to have one. They don't have enough of them in rotation at any given time to be able to just like, 'Oh, we don't need the BMF belt.'
"Like, it was once a joke and now they're like, 'You know what? We could actually kind of use this thing.' It's not the first time that it's been featured in a headlining bout on a UFC pay-per-view. Like, they need it."
UFC 318 takes place this Saturday, July 19, from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the third meeting between Holloway and Poirier, with Poirier winning both of the previous outings.