UFC 251: Kamaru Usman ‘terrorising’ Dana White to put Jorge Masvidal’s ‘BMF’ belt on the line

White reiterates the ‘BMF’ title belt is a ‘one and done’ despite Usman’s desire to ‘throw it in my closet’

Masvidal says he is fighting the ‘dorkiest’ fighter, not the ‘baddest’ in the main event on Fight Island

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Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson holds the ‘BMF’ belt before a welterweight bout between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz at UFC 244 in Madison Square Garden, New York in November of 2019. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:05pm, 8 Jul 2020Updated: 4:05pm, 8 Jul 2020

Dana White says Jorge Masvidal’s “BMF” belt will not be on the line against Kamaru Usman at UFC 251 this weekend.

“Gamebred” Masvidal (35-13), who is stepping in to fight welterweight champion Usman (16-1) on six days’ notice, won the “BMF” belt after beating Nate Diaz via third-round doctor’s stoppage last November. White put to bed any rumours of two belts being up for grabs – despite protests from “The Nigerian Nightmare”.

“It is not on the line. 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 champ, I wanna squash it all. He’s not gonna win my title, and I’m gonna take his BMF belt’,” White told TMZ.

“Believe me, Usman has not stopped terrorising me about this. I don’t know [if Masvidal will bring the belt]. That was like a one and done,” said White, adding that it was “absolutely brilliant” of Masvidal to take the fight.

The 33-year-old Usman – who last defended his welterweight title against Colby Covington in a fifth-round TKO in December 2019 – said he wanted to win the ‘BMF’ belt so he could “throw it in my closet”.