UFC play-by-play commentator [autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] sees [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] and [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] taking the “BMF” title to the next level.
Poirier (29-7 MMA, 21-6 UFC) rematches Gaethje (24-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 291 headliner at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. They will battle for the vacant “BMF” belt, which was first won by Jorge Masvidal when he scored a third-round doctor’s stoppage TKO of Nate Diaz to become the inaugural champion in November 2019.
Anik believes Masvidal and Diaz embody the “BMF” moniker, but because there are title implications between Poirier and Gaethje, he sees this matchup as a step up.
“You know, it’s a great question, and I hate to fence it when I get such a thoughtful question,” Anik told Middle Easy. “But if you think about how many guys may fight for the ‘BMF’ title, as Dana (White) determines who is worthy of that distinction right now, as long as this main event goes off without a hitch, the list is Jorge Masvidal, Nate Diaz, Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier. It’s a pretty gaudy list. Like, who are the next two individuals that are going to be worthy of fighting for this belt?
“Now, it’s not an undisputed belt, but who are the guys most worthy of it? And at least as far as championship stakes, these two are closer to the belt than perhaps where Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz were when they fought at UFC 244 or whatever it was. So, gosh, I mean, it’s a hard question, but I would probably have to lean – I love you, ‘Gamebred,’ I love you, Nate Diaz … But, bro, I got to say Poirier and Gaethje are fighting for the true title eliminator and, as such, I think you would have to say it’s just elevated the discussion.”
Poirier defeated Gaethje in their first fight in 2018, stopping him by fourth-round TKO in a Fight of the Year barnburner. Both men have gone 6-2 since, with both their losses coming in championship fights against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira.
UFC 291 takes place Saturday at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.