5 past UFC fighters who were uncrowned BMFs
UFC 291 will be headlined by the long-awaited rematch between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje. Their first encounter took place in 2018 and won Fight of the Year honors. The two men went on to carve a path of violence that culminated in interim lightweight titles for both of them.
Thus, it's only fitting that their upcoming bout will be contested for the 'BMF' title that was left vacant after Jorge Masvidal's retirement. While no one would ever deny that the duo match the somewhat loose description of a BMF, what of fighters from the past?
Throughout the UFC's history, there have been several fighters who fit the mold of a 'BMF' and would have been worthy of holding the strap. This list looks at five such fighters who were uncrowned 'BMFs' long before the concept even existed.
#5 Donald Cerrone, former UFC lightweight/welterweight
Donald Cerrone's reputation as a fighter took something of a hit during his final years in competition due to his seven-fight winless streak and the manner in which some of his losses came. But, let there be no mistake. 'Cowboy' at his peak, was a true 'BMF' at heart.
February 5th, 2011: Donald Cerrone makes his UFC debut against Paul Kelly. Donald previously fought in the WEC, but the promotion was purchased by the UFC. This fight is the first fight for Cerrone in 2011, where he would go on to fight a total of five times within the year. https://t.co/axXIZAbIqR
The UFC Hall of Famer was an all-action fighter, capable of finishing opponents on the feet and on the mat. He also fought more frequently than any of his contemporaries, bringing new meaning to 'anyone, anywhere'. In 2011, for example, Cerrone fought a whopping five times in the promotion.
In 2013, Cerrone competed four times, and did the same in 2014, 2015 and 2016. While he cut down his frequency to three fights per year in 2017 and 2018, he again fought four times in 2019, win or lose.
#4 Rafael dos Anjos, UFC lightweight/welterweight
Former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos will fight anyone, anywhere. His body of work features some of the toughest matchups any fighter has ever had. This is especially true when 'RDA's' weakness to pressure-based wrestlers is counted. Yet, he accepts bouts with them all the same.
Rafael dos Anjos has competed against the best Welterweights in the world.
He fought Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman in back to back fights in 2018.
#UFCVegas58 https://t.co/oPgyJgerkN
The Brazilian has faced Khabib Nurmagomedov, Donald Cerrone, Kevin Lee, Eddie Alvarez, Tony Ferguson, Benson Henderson, Robbie Lawler, Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman, Leon Edwards, Anthony Pettis and Rafael Fiziev. Among this list, there are five pressure-based wrestlers.
More than that, he has fought nine UFC champions (including interim titleholders) throughout his career. 'RDA' embodies fearlessness, above all else, and was even scheduled to face Islam Makhachev at one point, despite the stylistic mismatch.
#3 Michael Bisping, former UFC middleweight
If someone were to ask Michael Bisping if he cared about being crowned a 'BMF' champion, it's likely his answer would be no. During his career, the Englishman's dream was always to capture UFC gold, not platinum. But it's the manner in which he did so that earns him 'BMF' acclaim anyway.
A spinning heel kick from Vitor Belfort detached his retina, ultimately blinding him in his right eye. Despite being a one-eyed fighter at this point, he mounted a three-fight win streak, defeating the legendary Anderson Silva despite briefly losing his mouthguard and eating a flying knee that almost KO'd him.
6. Michael Bisping-Luke Rockhold (UFC 199)
One of the most satisfying ko’s of my MMA watching life https://t.co/xJVqk5hiDv
The run earned him the title shot that had always eluded him. Unfortunately, it was on just 17 days' notice, giving him inadequate time to prepare for the most important fight of his career. Worse still, it was against a man he had already lost to, the all-conquering middleweight champion Luke Rockhold.
Yet, it didn't stop him from fulfilling his lifelong dream as he KO'd Rockhold in the first round, one-eyed and on 17 days' notice. He then went on to defend his title by avenging a past loss to Dan Henderson. If 'The Count' isn't a 'BMF', is anyone else, really?
#2 Gegard Mousasi, former UFC middleweight
Gegard Mousasi apologists will tell anyone who spares them an ear that he's the best middleweight in the world. While skilled, he is not the greatest 185-pounder in the sport. What he is, is a 'BMF'. The Dutchman has been a champion everywhere he's gone with the exception of the UFC.
However, his most praise-worthy performances happened under the DREAM banner. At Dream 9, Gegard Mousasi took part in an openweight bout against Mark Hunt. Before Francis Ngannou was stunning the world with fearsome knockouts at 265 pounds, there was Mark Hunt.
Gegard Mousasi submits Mark Hunt in the 1st round, 2009
218lb vs 286lb https://t.co/ifZtqTJ58E
'The Super Samoan' was the master of the walk-off knockout. Yet, Mousasi needed just one minute to submit him, a heavyweight. Later that same year, he fought another heavyweight in Gary Goodridge, TKO'ing him within a minute of the first round. In his UFC debut, he fought Ilir Latifi.
While the pair met at light heavyweight, the Dutchman found his true calling at middleweight, while Latifi has since moved up to heavyweight. His willingness to fight anyone, regardless of weight class, is a rarity, with even 'BMF' claimant Nate Diaz refusing to fight Khamzat Chimaev after the latter missed weight.
#1 B.J. Penn, former UFC lightweight/welterweight
There are two things that B.J. Penn and Jon Jones have in common. They've both held UFC titles, and fought Lyoto Machida. However, one fought as low as featherweight, while the other is currently the heavyweight champion of the world. In his prime, there was no one else like B.J. Penn.
BJ Penn vs Lyoto Machida end of R2 HL's from K-1 Hero's 1 (2005) #UFC232 https://t.co/jloFIkZwdU
To him, fighting was like a drug, such that a man small enough to fight at featherweight once had an openweight fight against future light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida. Like Gegard Mousasi, he was willing to fight anyone, anywhere, as evidenced by the different divisions he competed in.
Penn fought at featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight and even openweight. He was willing to face anyone and everyone, even all-time greats like Georges St-Pierre and Matt Hughes and was the first person to finish Diego Sanchez when the latter was in his prime.