Latest news with #UFC244
USA Today
27-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Nate Diaz plots UFC return, would like to 'f*cking whoop someone's ass there'
Nate Diaz plots UFC return, would like to 'f*cking whoop someone's ass there' Could Nate Diaz seriously be plotting a UFC comeback? He's at least talking like he is. Diaz (21-13 MMA, 16-11 UFC) amicably parted ways with the UFC after submitting Tony Ferguson in September 2022. He has since boxed Jake Paul and Jorge Masvidal, but is still interested in returning to the octagon. "I plan on going back to UFC," Diaz said on "The HJR Podcast." "If they'll have me, I would like to go back and f*cking whoop someone's ass there. I'm not fighting at (155 pounds), though. Right now I'm not fighting in there because there's nobody to fight really. It's kind of slow rolling. I don't really have a name in mind right now in the UFC. That's why I'm not there right now." Completing his trilogy bout with Conor McGregor is always an option for Diaz, but McGregor's future remains unclear. Diaz was the first to hand McGregor a loss in the UFC when he submitted him at UFC 196, but he lost the rematch by majority decision at UFC 202. "Whenever he's back, I'm sure we're going to fight," Diaz said of McGregor. "Me and him for sure got unfinished (business). Got to happen." Outside of McGregor, the Diaz-inspired BMF belt is also something of interest for the Stockton star. Diaz lost to Masvidal for the inaugural BMF title by doctor's stoppage TKO at UFC 244, and the belt has since changed hands a couple of times. Max Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC) is the current BMF champion, and he defends his belt against Dustin Poirier in the UFC 318 headliner July 19. "Those are the guys right there who I would want to fight, like Max Holloway" Diaz said of BMF champions. "I would like to fight the other guy who's really good too, Topuria. He's really good, but he's smaller than me. I'm done with 155. I'm cool off that. It always was (a hard weight cut). When I was 18, it was hard. I'm staying at '70. I'll fight at 185, too."
USA Today
29-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Din Thomas: UFC should 'retire' BMF belt if Dustin Poirier wins final fight
Din Thomas: UFC should 'retire' BMF belt if Dustin Poirier wins final fight Din Thomas thinks Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier 3 at UFC 318 should be the final BMF title fight. Reigning BMF champion Holloway (26-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) will attempt to defend the belt in Poirier's (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) retirement fight, which takes place July 19 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). It will be just the fourth matchup in UFC history with the BMF theme attached, starting with Jorge Masvidal vs. Nate Diaz at UFC 244 in November 2019. It went into hiatus until Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje at UFC 291 in July 2023, then Holloway vs. Gaethje at UFC 300 in April 2024. There is no official rhyme or reason for when BMF fights happen, but Thomas thinks the spirit in which it was created doesn't have much more legs. "I think (this should be the last one), only because the BMF belt is so limited," Thomas told MMA Junkie. "Everybody wants to fight for it, but because it's kind of been in the hands of lightweights and welterweights, you really alienate a lot of people who should fight for it, who could fight for it. So it's like, 'What are we doing with this?' And to be honest with you, the game ain't really full of BMFs like it used to be. Now we've got a bunch of athletes lobbying for money and money fights. We don't got a lot of BMFs like we used to have, so I think they should just do away with it." It's uncertain what the future of the BMF title could be if Holloway wins at UFC 318. The UFC might see further promotional use for it, but if Poirier emerges triumphant in his final career fight, Thomas thinks it would be a fitting end to the lineage. "If they retire the BMF belt with Dustin, I'm OK with that," Thomas said. "It gives Dustin an opportunity to walk away with the BMF belt. This is something that will really encapsulate his entire career because Dustin was a BMF his entire career, and if he could walk away with that belt? Come on, man. This is storybook. This is unprecedented activity here, and I love every bit of it." To hear more from Thomas, check out his complete appearance on "The Bohnfire" podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn in the video above.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Din Thomas: UFC should 'retire' BMF belt if Dustin Poirier wins final fight
Din Thomas thinks Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier 3 at UFC 318 should be the final BMF title fight. Reigning BMF champion Holloway (26-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) will attempt to defend the belt in Poirier's (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) retirement fight, which takes place July 19 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). It will be just the fourth matchup in UFC history with the BMF theme attached, starting with Jorge Masvidal vs. Nate Diaz at UFC 244 in November 2019. It went into hiatus until Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje at UFC 291 in July 2023, then Holloway vs. Gaethje at UFC 300 in April 2024. There is no official rhyme or reason for when BMF fights happen, but Thomas thinks the spirit in which it was created doesn't have much more legs. "I think (this should be the last one), only because the BMF belt is so limited," Thomas told MMA Junkie. "Everybody wants to fight for it, but because it's kind of been in the hands of lightweights and welterweights, you really alienate a lot of people who should fight for it, who could fight for it. So it's like, 'What are we doing with this?' And to be honest with you, the game ain't really full of BMFs like it used to be. Now we've got a bunch of athletes lobbying for money and money fights. We don't got a lot of BMFs like we used to have, so I think they should just do away with it." It's uncertain what the future of the BMF title could be if Holloway wins at UFC 318. The UFC might see further promotional use for it, but if Poirier emerges triumphant in his final career fight, Thomas thinks it would be a fitting end to the lineage. "If they retire the BMF belt with Dustin, I'm OK with that," Thomas said. "It gives Dustin an opportunity to walk away with the BMF belt. This is something that will really encapsulate his entire career because Dustin was a BMF his entire career, and if he could walk away with that belt? Come on, man. This is storybook. This is unprecedented activity here, and I love every bit of it." To hear more from Thomas, check out his complete appearance on "The Bohnfire" podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn in the video above. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Din Thomas wants UFC to 'retire' BMF belt after Holloway vs. Poirier
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dustin Poirier proposes sweeping rule changes for UFC's BMF title bouts
Dustin Poirier is as old-school as they come — which is why he wouldn't mind seeing the wide-open rule set of the old PRIDE FC days come back for one night only. Poirier, who is gearing up for his final fight at UFC 318 on July 19 in New Orleans, will attempt to capture the BMF title when he faces Max Holloway in a highly anticipated trilogy bout. It will be Poirier's final MMA fight after a career spanning over 16 years, and speaking on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show," Poirier outlined his perfect fight scenario for his Octagon swan song. Advertisement "I would totally be down with doing a 10-minute first round, if they wouldn't allow [a] one-night [tournament], five rounds each fight — or even [a] one-night tournament [with] three rounds each fight," Poirier said. "It would be too many MMA rounds in one night for a guy. I would do one long first round. Whatever we want, dude. I think it would be a cool idea. "Bring back the 10-minute first round. Love that. And also, if we do it that way, let's go really far back. Let's do a 10-minute first round, and you judge a fight as a whole. Not round-by-round. At the end of every fight, I would rather the judge say, 'Which guy would you be walking out of the Octagon?' That's what I want." The now-defunct PRIDE promotion in Japan popularized a two-round format during its existence. While the 10-minute first round and five-minute second round format is much rarer, it still exists today in Japan's RIZIN Fighting Federation if both fighters agree to it. Scoring fights as a whole and all variants of ground strikes are alive and well in Japan too, even with MMA's usual three five-minute rounds. Advertisement UFC's closest format to that PRIDE model came during its earliest days, when rules were as limited as possible. In the future, however, Poirier likes the idea of adopting something even more unique for the BMF title, and would gladly kick things off with Holloway. "Every time there's a BMF title fight, 10-minute first round," Poirier said. "Fights judged as a whole. Soccer kicks allowed. We're getting close with the hands can touch [the ground] and you can still boot somebody [in the face]." Dustin Poirier has one last war left in the tank. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports) (USA TODAY Sports / Reuters) Everything is set up for Poirier to have a memorable homecoming at UFC 318, whether he wins or loses. Obviously the goal is to avoid the latter and rebound from his tough title loss to UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 this past June. Advertisement The BMF title concept was initially expected to be a one-off spectacle when Jorge Masvidal fought Nate Diaz at UFC 244 in November 2019, according to UFC CEO Dana White. That changed when the promotion decided to resurrect the strap for Poirier's first attempt — a rematch against Justin Gaethje in July 2023. Unfortunately for "The Diamond," he came up short via a second-round knockout. Considering how the stars have aligned for Poirier to get a big trilogy bout sendoff at home in Louisiana, the cherry on top would be a permanent retirement of the title, making Poirier truly the last of his kind. "That would be dope, man," Poirier said. "To be the last BMF and kind of have that part in UFC history, fight history. But it's whatever, dude. I just want to get it. I've never lost two in a row. So obviously I lost my last fight to Islam — I plan to retire, keeping that same pattern."
