Robert Whittaker Isn't a Fan of Gimmick Belts - Calls for More UFC Belts
Former middleweight champion and fan favourite, Robert Whittaker has expressed his dislike for gimmick belts like the BMF title.
It's safe to say that Robert Whittaker is a purist when it comes to UFC belts. The former middleweight king expressed his distaste for the BMF belt on his podcast, MMArcade Podcast.
Discussing the UFC 335 main event announcement, Whittaker said, "Firstly, BMF title, I still don't know. I am happy for the fighters that it's around because I think they get championship-level money. It's like an extra bonus, an extra incentive to earn cash and earn it that way, but I don't understand it."
He has a valid point. The BMF title was created for the UFC 244 main event between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz. The whole idea behind it was that it was created for two megastars who weren't good enough to crack it at the true championship level. Masvidal would go on to win the fight due to a doctor's stoppage, not very 'BMF'.
Whittaker went on to say, "Or no, I just don't fully agree with it. Secondly, why don't we just have more titles like boxing? I don't know the answer to it. Or maybe they're just superfights because they're main events. We don't really need – even the BMF sounds tacky a little bit, you know what I mean?"
And again, he has a very valid point. Realistically, the BMF is the UFC heavyweight champion; that's why we have weight classes. For a long time, the heavyweight champion in boxing, especially when it was Mike Tyson, was regarded as 'The baddest man on the planet' and logically, the UFC heavyweight champion takes that mantle.
His point about more belts is an interesting one. It's clear that weight cutting continues to be an issue within MMA and the 'jumps' between weight classes is too vast. Adding a 165lbs, a 220lbs and prehaps a 105lbs belt would certainly increase saftey for fighters.
In MMA, we don't need as many belts as they have in boxing. It makes the sport too diluted, however, there's a good argument to get rid of the gimmick belts and increase the number of weight classes.
The BMF title will once again be on the line when Charles Oliviera takes on Diego Lopes at UFC 335.
