Surging UFC featherweight offers to step in as "last minute replacement" in potential four-man BMF title tournament
Dustin Poirier has thrown his support behind a proposed one-night four-fighter tournament for the BMF title. The proposal features himself, Max Holloway, Justin Gaethje, and Dan Hooker competing in a tournament where the winners of the semifinal matchup advance to the finals, where the belt would be on the line.
While it is unclear if a commission would sign off on two fighters competing in consecutive bouts, Andreas Hale of MMA on Sirius XM's Fight Nation initially brought up the idea. The mixed martial arts analyst tweeted:
"Listen… One night tournament for the BMF championship @BlessedMMA vs. @danthehangman @DustinPoirier vs. @Justin_Gaethje Winners face each other in the main event. Who says no?"
Poirier immediately expressed interest, culminating in UFC CEO Dana White being asked about the idea at the 'Dana White Contender's Series' post-fight press conference on Tuesday, responding:
"Sounds fun. Never thought about it, but yeah, I love it."
ESPN MMA shared White's comments, leading Diego Lopes to share that he would be interested in stepping in as a last-minute replacement if one of the fighters pulls out. The No. 3-ranked featherweight comments on the post, stating:
"If you need a last minute replacement, I'm here 😎"
Check out the post from ESPN MMA and a screenshot of Diego Lopes' comment below:
Lopes has won five consecutive bouts over the past 14 months, finishing three opponents. He also showed plenty of 'BMF' qualities at UFC 303 as he accepted multiple changes to the weight and a last-minute opponent replacement. Despite this, the No. 3-ranked featherweight appears unlikely to fight for the BMF title anytime soon. Thus far, the five fighters who have competed for the belt have all been long-time promotional veterans.
Nate Diaz shares his reaction to four-man BMF title tournament
Nate Diaz faced Jorge Masvidal for the inaugural BMF title at UFC 244 in 2019, losing the bout via third-round doctor's stoppage TKO. The former lightweight challenger shared that he does not believe two of the proposed names - Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje - should be in the tournament.
Diaz posted a clip of UFC CEO Dana White's comments on the tournament to his Instagram story, adding:
"@danawhite Dan and max are eligible for my belt but get the other 2 nerds out of there they don't fit the description 💯 👊🏼 💯"
Check out Nate Diaz's Instagram story below:
While Poirier and Gaethje have already competed for the BMF title - with the latter winning via second-round knockout at UFC 291 - Diaz does not believe they should receive the opportunity again. 'The Highlight' lost the title when he suffered a last-second fifth-round knockout to Max Holloway at UFC 300.