Dana White: Usman “terrorizing me” for BMF belt, but it won’t be on the line at UFC 251

By Tom Taylor - July 7, 2020

UFC President Dana White says there will only be one title on the line when Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal collide in the UFC 251 main event.

Dana White, UFC, Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov

Masvidal is set to challenge Usman for the undisputed welterweight title in the headliner of the card, which will emanate from Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night. The winner of the bout will leave the island with the welterweight title in their luggage.

Yet Masvidal is also the owner of another title: the BMF belt. He won that championship bauble back in November, when he defeated Nate Diaz by stoppage in the main event of UFC 244.

Ahead of the UFC 251 main event, Usman has suggested he intends to take Masvidal’s BMF belt.

Speaking to TMZ this week, White confirmed that Usman wants the BMF belt. Unfortunately, the undisputed champ is out of luck.

“It’s not on the line,” White said of the BMF. “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 champion.’ He’s like ‘I want to squash it all. He’s not going to take my title, and I’m going to take his BMF belt.’ Believe me, Usman has not stopped terrorizing me about this.”

White added that he isn’t sure if Masvidal will bring his BMF belt to Abu Dhabi, but assured that, whether the belt is in town or not, it represents a one-and-done situation.

“That was like a one-and-done, the BMF title,” White said.

This is not the first time White has called the BMF title a one-off, he has also suggested it could potentially be in play again in the future under the right circumstances. Speaking on The Menace and the Man podcast back in May, White suggested Masvidal could potentially defend his BMF belt against former two-division champion Conor McGregor.

“That’s a possibility,” White said of a Masvidal vs. McGregor BMF title fight.

Do you think Dana White should put the BMF title up for grabs in the UFC 251 main event?