Talk of the BMF title is rife after Max Holloway became the first to successfully defend it.
Holloway defeated Dustin Poirier at UFC 318, pulling one back on ‘The Diamond’ to close out their trilogy and advance his ongoing divisional title ambitions in the process.
While ‘Blessed’ has staked his claim for a rematch with lightweight king Ilia Topuria, some have pushed for other matchups instead, including another defense against an always-game brawler many believe is long overdue a BMF fight, Dan Hooker.
Though Holloway would be open to facing ‘The Hangman’, he believes a BMF ranking system should be created to make potential contenders for the symbolic belt clearer.
“I love that, you gotta work your way up,” Holloway said during his UFC 318 post-fight press conference. “So we can let them know. I mean, I’m not saying no to Dan Hooker, but I’m just saying, can we please have a BMF ranking so we can see it?
“Actually, I don’t even know if it’s UFC. Can we get the fans to do it? Because UFC’s rankings is slacking all over the place.”
Daniel Cormier thinks such a creation would not see Hooker at the top of the pile…
Daniel Cormier picks Charles Oliveira as the worthy top-ranked UFC BMF
During a recent episode of his Good Guy/Bad Guy show alongside Chael Sonnen on ESPN MMA’s YouTube channel, Cormier gave his take on how the BMF title should be used and assessed calls for the symbolic strap to have a ranking system.
‘DC’ made his choice for who would top a BMF ranking, naming former lightweight champ Charles Oliveira worthy of the No. 1 spot.
“Say there was a BMF ranking, all those guys you listed before (Topuria, Justin Gaethje, Arman Tsarukyan) would be included,” Cormier said. “But all those guys we listed may not be as active or as viable in their division right now.
“Charles Oliveira would be the No. 1-ranked guy in the BMF running. Charles would be. He would be No. 1 in the BMF rankings.
“He is a BMF,” Cormier continued. “He is one of those guys that fits. You had Dustin Poirier fight, Justin Gaethje fight, Max Holloway fight for the belt, Nate Diaz, Jorge Masvidal. Charles Oliveira fits in that realm of the world.
“He doesn’t fit in the (lightweight) title picture anymore. I believe that this BMF title truly could be a thing to chase for those guys that were once the best in the world, and maybe they aren’t right now, but they are working their way back to that.
“Something that matters is at stake for them.”
Charles Oliveira wants his rematch against Max Holloway
Though it would no doubt be debated by some who see others as more worthy, Cormier’s pick for the No. 1-ranked BMF would be fitting given Oliveira’s recent remarks about rematching Holloway.
After Oliveira was knocked out by Ilia Topuria at UFC 317, the Brazilian fan favorite did not take long to set his sights on another assignment for later this year.
Speaking before Holloway’s victory over Poirier, ‘Do Bronx’ pointed to a rematch with the BMF champ as his desired next fight.
“(Holloway) will fight in July, I fought in June. I think November would be the time,” Oliveira told Ag. Fight. “It would be a great fight. He said he would fight too, so why not?”
After ‘Blessed’ kept hold of the symbolic belt in New Orleans, perhaps a possible rematch with Oliveira could have BMF stakes attached to it.