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Reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is one of the most dominant fighters in the UFC today.
The 31-year-old Russian is 24-1 in his MMA career and his lone UFC loss came almost eight years years ago.
He won the lightweight title with a dominant second-round submission victory over Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 last October. Makhachev then defended his belt via unanimous decision in a super first with bantamweight champ Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 in February.
But there is one belt that Makhachev hasn’t got his hands on: the BMF title.
The UFC created the belt in 2019 to give to the winner of the UFC 244 main event between Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal. BMF, of course, stands for Baddest Mother F*****, which is a bit odd considering neither was a champion and both have a number of losses on their resume.
Alas, Masvidal won the title and then proceeded to lose his next four fights before announcing his retirement.
Recently, the UFC announced that the belt would be on the line again at UFC 291 when Justin Gaethje squares off with Dustin Poirier. The two previously met in April of 2018 with Poirier winning via fourth-round TKO.
But how does Makhachev feel about two guys in the division he’s the champion in fighting for the title of “Baddest Mother F*****?”
Well, he appears entirely unbothered.
“I don’t want that s***,” Makhachev told Daniel Cormier. “This belt for the bums, you know? First time, who fight for this belt? Nate Diaz and [Jorge] Masvidal. The people who never can be champion, you know? They give him some belt. ‘Guys, be happy. Fight for BMF.’ Bro, what is this? I don’t know. They have to stop this after this (laughs). Stop.”
Makhachev then pointed out that both Poirier and Gaethje have previously lost lightweight title fights.
“Gaethje and Poirier, I don’t know when — they fight for the real belt many times and they always lose, you know,” he said. “Now Dana [White] like good guy, give them other belt. ‘Guys, you have to be BMF champion.’ Honestly, if somebody give me this belt tomorrow, I don’t want this s***. Of course, brother. Keep this away from me. Never say this fight gonna be vs. lightweight champion and BMF champion. Never say this, okay?”
It’s hard to argue with his point. How do you call the baddest in a division where someone else is the champion?
Maybe it’s time to retire that belt for good.