The UFC’s BMF title began with Nate Diaz talking as though he already owned it. After beating Anthony Pettis in 2019, he called for a fight with Jorge Masvidal and described a championship that did not yet exist.
- What Is the UFC BMF Title?
- How Nate Diaz Helped Create the BMF Belt
- Every UFC BMF Champion
- Jorge Masvidal Made It Official
- Justin Gaethje Brought the Belt to Lightweight
- Max Holloway Gave It a Defining Moment
- Charles Oliveira Expanded What a BMF Victory Could Look Like
- Every UFC BMF Title Fight
- Who Holds the UFC BMF Title?
The UFC turned that idea into a physical belt. What followed grew beyond the original matchup, moving from welterweight to lightweight and developing its own succession of champions.
Along the way, a belt Dana White initially intended as a one-time prize became a recurring attraction. Its champions have given it memorable finishes, successful defense, and a history the UFC can build on whenever it brings the title back.
What Is the UFC BMF Title?
BMF stands for “Baddest Motherf*cker.” It is a symbolic UFC championship awarded in selected bouts, separate from the promotion’s divisional titles.
Winning it does not make someone the undisputed champion of their weight class. Nor does beating its holder automatically transfer the belt. The UFC must specifically put the BMF title on the line.
Jorge Masvidal’s BMF belt was not at stake against Kamaru Usman at UFC 251. Similarly, Max Holloway retained his BMF status after losing to Ilia Topuria at UFC 308 because only the featherweight championship was being contested.
The title therefore sits alongside the UFC’s divisional structure. It adds a prize to a matchup without establishing who is the best fighter in an entire weight class.
How Nate Diaz Helped Create the BMF Belt
After defeating Pettis at UFC 241 in August 2019, Diaz used his post-fight interview to call out Masvidal. He framed the proposed matchup as a defense of his own unofficial BMF status.
UFC’s account of the belt’s origins traces the concept to that interview. The promotion then booked Diaz and Masvidal to headline UFC 244 at Madison Square Garden.
Initially, there was no promise of a continuing championship. Dana White said the belt would be a one-time prize, with the winner keeping the designation.
That original plan helps explain the title’s unusual early history. It was created for a specific occasion. Only later did the UFC turn it into something other fighters could fight for.
Every UFC BMF Champion
Jorge Masvidal Made It Official
Masvidal became the first BMF champion by defeating Diaz at UFC 244 on November 2, 2019.
The finish was less conclusive than the promotion’s premise might have promised. After three rounds, the doctor stopped the fight because of cuts around Diaz’s right eye. The official result was a TKO at 5:00 of the third round. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson presented Masvidal with the belt.
Masvidal never defended it. His time as its holder should therefore be understood differently from a divisional championship reign built through repeated defenses.
Following his retirement in 2023, the UFC brought the title back for Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier. Contemporary reporting described the belt as vacated following Masvidal’s retirement. Masvidal supported the pairing and later presented the belt to its second holder.
Justin Gaethje Brought the Belt to Lightweight
The BMF title returned at UFC 291 on July 29, 2023, with Gaethje and Poirier competing at lightweight.
Their reputations made the matchup easy to understand. Both had already held interim UFC lightweight gold, and Poirier had won their first meeting in 2018. The rematch offered Gaethje a chance to even that rivalry while claiming a different kind of championship.
He did so with a right head kick, knocking Poirier out at 1:00 of the second round.
The belt’s return changed its purpose. A prize originally made for Diaz and Masvidal could now recognize other fighters with similarly established reputations. Booking Gaethje to defend it against Holloway took that development further because the BMF title had become something a champion could lose.
Max Holloway Gave It a Defining Moment
Holloway won the belt at UFC 300 on April 13, 2024, knocking Gaethje out at 4:59 of the fifth round. UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman presented Holloway with the BMF belt.
The finish gave the belt a moment that matched its billing. With the fight nearly over, Holloway invited Gaethje to trade in the center of the Octagon. He could have let the remaining seconds expire. Instead, he risked getting stopped himself to pursue the knockout.
Holloway then added a different milestone. At UFC 318 on July 19, 2025, he defeated Poirier by unanimous decision in New Orleans, becoming the first fighter to successfully defend the BMF title.
The scores were 48–47, 49–46, and 49–46. The fight also served as Poirier’s retirement bout, giving Holloway’s first defense significance beyond the belt itself.
New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne, who accompanied Poirier to the Octagon, wrapped the BMF belt around Holloway after the decision.
Charles Oliveira Expanded What a BMF Victory Could Look Like
Oliveira became the fourth BMF champion at UFC 326 on March 7, 2026, defeating Holloway by unanimous decision.
All three judges scored the fight 50–45. Holloway had helped define the belt through his willingness to trade punches. Oliveira took it by denying him those exchanges, using takedowns and control to keep the fight on his terms.
That creates an awkward question for a championship sold partly on the promise of a brawl. If a fighter can dominate its holder without taking those risks, why should he fight any other way?
Every UFC BMF Title Fight
| Date | Event | Winner | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2, 2019 | UFC 244 | Jorge Masvidal | Nate Diaz | TKO, doctor stoppage, Round 3, 5:00 |
| July 29, 2023 | UFC 291 | Justin Gaethje | Dustin Poirier | KO, head kick, Round 2, 1:00 |
| April 13, 2024 | UFC 300 | Max Holloway | Justin Gaethje | KO, punch, Round 5, 4:59 |
| July 19, 2025 | UFC 318 | Max Holloway | Dustin Poirier | Unanimous decision |
| March 7, 2026 | UFC 326 | Charles Oliveira | Max Holloway | Unanimous decision |
The inaugural fight took place at welterweight. The next four took place at lightweight.
Who Holds the UFC BMF Title?
Updated November 12, 2026.
Charles Oliveira holds the BMF title after defeating Max Holloway at UFC 326. He is scheduled to defend it against Diego Lopes at UFC 335 on December 12, 2026, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The announced matchup is at lightweight.
Through UFC 326, four fighters have held the belt across five completed BMF title fights. Holloway has its only successful defense and a 2–1 record in bouts contested for the championship.
