Commentary: Does the Justin Gaethje vs. Dustin Poirier battle at UFC 291 deserve the Baddest Mother F***er on the planet title?

This weekend, MMA fans will be treated to another numbered UFC 291 tournament, headlined by Justin Gaethje vs. Dustin Poirier. The bout, from which we can expect a bloody carnage, will have a special flavor. For not only will both men battle for a chance to get close to a title shot in the lightweight division, but the winner of this contest will secure his status as the Baddest Mother F***er on the planet.

The vacant title Baddest Mother F***er on the planet comes under fire from critics

One of the best cards of the year and a rematch that will give you chills. Salt Lake City will witness another numbered UFC 291 tournament this weekend, the highlight of which every mixed martial arts fan is looking forward to.

The first fight was already a wild affair, as is usually the case with these two. After all, both Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier are top ten fighters with a total of 24 bonuses for the fight of the night in the history of the biggest MMA organization in the world.

So organization boss Dana White and his matchmakers devised a plan to add even more juice to one of the most anticipated fights of the year. The winner of the bout will take home the status of the Baddest Mother F***er on the planet in addition to an important victory in the UFC lightweight rankings.

The last holder of that title, who also holds his own belt, Jorge Masvidal retired from professional MMA a few months ago. In November 2019, the Florida gangster defeated Stockton brawler Nate Diaz.

Now Gaethje and Poirier have a chance to fight for the vacant BMF title. There has been criticism from many pundits and fans regarding this.

One of the biggest critics, is the one who did not win the title in the first ever such fight. According to Nate Diaz, both fighters do not meet the criteria for the BMF title. He called both Poirier and Gaethje “dorks”.

The BMF title itself was then publicly criticized by division champion Islam Makhachev. He despised such a belt and called it a title of those who were never true champions.

Are Poirier and Gaethje the right contenders for the BMF title?

In fact, both were interim champions of the lightweight division, but the chance for the rightful title was taken away from them by the same opponents Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira. So do they deserve the right to fight for the BMF title?

For me, definitely yes. Justin Gaethje has been wrestling since he was young, but in college he got a taste of the feeling of going headlong into the cage with an opponent and eventually stayed there. In this case, the nickname “The Highlight” is justified.

But now, in his own words, fans will get a new version that fights a little smarter. Still, we should expect to damage our opponent with every punch.

A great dad at home, a beast in the cage. Dustin Poirier will be looking to take away his opponent’s status as one of the most violent fighters in the entire organization. He already partially proved that during their first fight, catching him in the fourth round with hard combinations that ended the UFC fight of 2018.

In terms of fighting skills, he is a true diamond in the organization. The fundamentals of boxing have made him one of the most dangerous stand-up fighters not only in the lightweight division.

A fight of this caliber needs to be attractive to the crowd and from that perspective, it’s a safe bet from the organization’s management. They may not be the stars of the rattlesnake and they may not come across as thugs in public, but once the cage door closes, opponents should be wary.

The winner of the duel doesn’t just get more money

Although both were initially dismissive of the BMF title, they eventually found their advantages in it after all. The winner of the title will surely get better treatment in his subsequent tenure in the organization, just as was the case with Jorge Masvidal. The latter became the star of the PPV broadcasts after winning the BMF title, and it’s no coincidence that his next two fights were title fights.

Again, it’s very likely that the winner will get a chance to fight for the rightful division title next year as well. And that will be against the winner of the title fight Makhachev vs. Oliveira, which will take place at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi in October.

If anyone deserves the title of Baddest Mother F***er on the planet with their fighting appeal, it’s Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier, who always put on electrifying fights. And how do you see that?

Source: UFC