Justin Gaethje has admitted that he’s finds the symbolic ‘BMF’ belt he’ll be fighting for against Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 ‘kind of stupid’, but at the same time he’s explained why can see the positive side of it too.
The original ‘Bad Motherf***er’ title was originally supposed to be a one-off to help jazz up a PPV headlining fight between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz back in 2019, but Dana White decided to bring it back for Poirier vs. Gaethje due to the fact that Masvidal had now retired.
“Honestly, my true assessment: when Masvidal and Diaz fought for it, I was like, ‘This is stupid.’ I still think it’s kind of stupid,” Gaethje told Cageside Press.
However, Gaethje now believes that the title does actually mean something as it affects how much money you can earn.
“To the fans that say it’s stupid, I say that it’s ultimately the UFC giving one more fighter one more opportunity to win and to gain an opportunity to get pay-per-view points. This belt, just like interim belts, on paper, are a championship. You are a champion in the eyes of the UFC, and when you are a champion in the eyes of the UFC, you get paid different.
“To the people who say it’s stupid, I say it’s the UFC throwing a bone. So I’m thankful that it is an opportunity that I get to fight for. Especially because there’s only one in the world. I think that’s pretty cool. It’s a cool looking belt. I think it’s a little bit of a show, but ultimately I gotta say I think it’s the UFC throwing a bone, and I’ve got to be thankful for that.”
