Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will fight for the vacant “BMF” title at UFC 291 with the blessing of the title’s most recent holder, Jorge Masvidal, who vacated it upon his retirement.
Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje are preparing for a thrilling fight for the vacant “BMF” title. This match has been sanctioned with the approval of the latest BMF champion. The main event of UFC 291 will host this fight later this month. The belt symbolically represents the legacy of Jorge Masvidal, also known as “Gamebred”, who vacated it following his retirement from MMA after losing to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287. The retirement prompted UFC to reintroduce the belt in this forthcoming fight, a decision which has delighted Masvidal.
On The MMA Hour, Masvidal conveyed his joy around this fight and underscored the chosen fighters’ fitting candidatures. He spoke highly of the previous BMF match that showcased two fighters bracing themselves to risk their lives in a forward pushing battle. He further stated that Poirier and Gaethje are the right candidates who would do the deserved justice to the fight because the quintessence of a successful BMF fight is that the participants must bring everything they can to the ring and put on a show for the live audience.
The concept of the BMF was initially conceived by Nate Diaz in 2019. After his victory over Anthony Pettis at UFC 241, Diaz voiced his wish to defend his fictional belt against Masvidal. The UFC took this idea and morphed fiction into reality by introducing their first promotional title unrelated to a particular weight class or tournament since the late 1990s Superfight Championship. The subsequent fight at UFC 244 witnessed Masvidal emerge victorious against Diaz, becoming the original and so far, the only BMF champion in promotional history.
Masvidal strongly feels that his fellow teammate, Poirier, is aptly qualified to honour his legacy. Masvidal strongly believes that Poirier will not only provide a tough competition to Gaethje but will surpass his own performance from their first match. Masvidal’s forecast of the fight involves Poirier surprising Gaethje with new strategies, leading to a great fight, and ultimately, a win for Poirier. Although he wasn’t updated on the return of BMF by UFC before the announcement of the fight, Masvidal envisions being the one to confer the belt to the new champion, much like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson did for him. Despite his retirement, Masvidal hinted at a possible return to reclaim his title if Gaethje wins.