Dana White: ‘BMF’ Belt Won’t Be on the Line in UFC 251 Headliner

Kamaru Usman has designs on leaving UFC 251 with the “BMF” title in tow, but it appears that belt won’t be on the line in Abu Dhabi.

Usman’s opponent, Jorge Masvidal, captured the “BMF” title with his victory against Nate Diaz at UFC 244 this past November at Madison Square Garden. In a recent interview, “The Nigerian Nightmare” said he planned on taking the belt from Masvidal and throwing it in his closet.

According to UFC president Dana White, the “BMF” title was a one-time thing and will remain so, despite Usman’s declaration.

“It is not on the line,” White told TMZ Sports. “Usman wants it to be on the line so bad, he will not stop texting me saying, ‘I don’t understand why this belt isn’t on the line. This guy’s running around saying he’s the ‘BMF’ champ. I want to squash it all. He’s not going to win my title, and I’m going take his ‘BMF’ belt.’

“Believe me, Usman has not stopped terrorizing me about this. That was like a one-and-done, the ‘BMF’ title.”

While there will not be additional hardware at stake at UFC 251, White admits that Masvidal vs. Usman is a fan-friendly fight. Masvidal stepped in for Gilbert Burns on short notice after Burns tested positive for COVID-19. While the UFC and Masvidal have had their differences in recent months, White praised “Gamebred” for his willingness to step up.

“It was brilliant of Masvidal to slide in after Gilbert Burns tested positive,” White said. “Gilbert Burns is the No. 1 ranked guy in the world. Great fight, it fell out. The fight the people want to see, the people’s fight, is this fight. It was absolutely brilliant of Masvidal to slide into this slot and take the fight.”