UFC: The BMF belt pros and cons

The BMF belt: Just in case you don't follow the sport that means "Baddest Mother F**ker" belt and it is meant to accomplish i don't know what for sure. The existence of this belt at all is very WWE-oriented and I personally don't think it should have been introduced. However, it is here now and i think we can expect both good and bad things from it.

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The fact that the "BMF" belt was going to be awarded by The Rock should have been our first hint that this thing was at least a little bit absurd, but to be fair, there are some elements of awesomeness that could end up applying to the sport and I would like to look at both right now.

The Good

There is not a weight division for this belt and that means that all competitors, probably mostly at a middle-weight level can call one-another out in order to defend this belt that has nothing to do with being champion of any particular weight division. This gives lots of opportunities for cross-division rivalries to begin and could actually introduce a new fight segment which is what UFC originally stood for.... The actual ultimate fighting champion - regardless of weight class.

There have been times that people have called out those that are in completely different fighting realms and it seemed impossible for them to ever fight one-another such as when Jon Jones (93kg) called out Brock Lesner (130kg) and there was very little opportunity for them to ever face one-another because they are absurdly different in the only category that matters in fighting... weight.

BMF belt gives the opportunity for the sport to ignore weight and just let... guys... fight, which at least in my mind could be a good thing because honestly, are you going to tell me that you don't want to see a full-size Jon Jones face a full-size Brock Lesnar?

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_{it doesn't have to be these two, insert whatever two fighters from different weight classes that you want}

The "BMF" belt would bring a certain classification that the cage-fighting sport was originally intended to be back into UFC and would eliminate the barriers (weight classes) that a lot of us have been complaining about for many years as far as "pound for pound" competitors are concerned.

It could actually be an extremely sought-after belt and the fighters would need to focus on something entirely different than they might have been after inside their particular weight division. There is no doubt in my mind that it would be a massive draw for television audiences and I don't think anyone can argue with that.

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The Bad

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The UFC is definitely taking a tab out of the WWE playbook by introducing this belt in the first place, and well, it should be no surprise that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was inevitably paid what is bound to be a huge amount of money to be the first-ever presenter of this belt in the UFC (complete with his old WWE music intro when he was walking to the ring.)

Dont get me wrong; i love WWE and I think they have their place in the world... but is it here in actual real fighting sports? I dunno. I've always appreciated the relationship that WWE and UFC had with one another, but should we keep this relationship professional? Introducing this BMF belt into the arena seems contrary to everything that real fighting sports have ever stood for and kind of (in my mind) makes a mockery of the entire thing.

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_{first ever inter-weight-class--belt?}

In the post fight interview after someone won the belt and another person didn't get this ridiculous belt (see how I didn't spoil anything there?) Joe Rogan himself brought up the topic of "what significance is this new belt going to have in the UFC?" and he did so while noticeably being very cynical about the entire pre-planned topic matter....

They didn't come to a conclusion because everyone is too afraid to say. Joe mentioned the problems about how (and I am paraphrasing) "we already have a champion in every weight-class, are we going to have a BMF belt in every weight class as well?"

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I think that this entire thing could turn out very badly or very good....ley. The idea behind having inter-weight-division competitions for the BMF belt is bound to be fun, but in my mind at least, it kind of takes away from the sport.

At what point do we introduce "King of the Ring" and "Royal Rumble" to the equation? How about the "Money in the Bank" briefcase where the owner of said prize can demand a title bout anywhere, at anytime? Do we really need UFC to be the same thing as WWE?

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UFC is not struggling for money at all and when i see things like this emerge I kinda have to wonder if the powers that be are, for lack of a better term, fucking with us.

I realize the potential the the "not-attached-to-any-particular-weight-class" belt that is the BMF could bring to UFC but this is mostly in the form of superfights that really don't have any place in serious fighting sports to begin with and are purely designed to generate revenue rather than actual comparative competition.

I think it would be good for TV, but not good for the sport and it only gravitates it towards becoming WWE and well, if we are going to do that I say let's bring on the Royal Rumble where 20 fighters are all in the ring at the same time kicking the crap outta eachother.

If that is their end-objective, then I suppose that bringing "The Rock" on to present the first ever "Bad Mo Fo" belt, is extremely appropriate

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_{I gotta got make a movie about a skyscraper or a jungle or something. gimme that money!}