A couple of weeks ago, former welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson was presented with the NMF belt (the nicest mofo in the game), live on ‘Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show.’
Then Conor McGregor jokingly tweeted about coming for the championship.
Obviously all of this is just for fun; a take on the BMF belt (the baddest mother fucker in the game). But it got me thinking, fake or not, done as a joke or not, this could actually help spur publicity for a big future bout and push Thompson into title contention. But he needs an opponent, someone who is also a nice mofo.
Part of the issue with welterweight was Tyron Woodley being a dominant champ who had beaten everyone. Then Kamaru Usman won the title and he and Colby Covington faced off –two guys who each had 10-fight winning streaks in the division. So there aren’t many new opponents out there for Usman to get the public excited about… at least that he hasn’t already defeated.
Stephen Thompson would actually be perfect. A former title challenger with name recognition and a great highlight reel. Somehow, these two competitors have managed to avoid each other. With wins over former champions like Rory McDonald and Johnny Hendricks, “Wonderboy” recently even defeated BMF winner himself Jorge Masvidal in a dominant one-sided decision.
Not to mention Thompson had a great win at UFC 244 (on the same card as Masvidal and Nate Diaz), derailing surging prospect Vincente Luque with incredible footwork and precision striking. So a NMF title fight might just be what gets Stephen Thompson’s name out there enough to warrant a bout with Usman.
Think about it. Nate Diaz, a popular fighter, who had never won the real title, made up the idea of a supposed uncrowned BMF in the game. He called out Jorge Masvidal and said they needed to fight for it. The UFC and fans alike were instantly on board.
Then Masvidal won and got an actual belt presented to him after the main event in Madison Square Garden by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Now the longtime veteran, who was once thought of and used by the organization as a gatekeeper, is expected to get a real welterweight title shot next. Even over a guy like Leon Edwards with eight victories in a row.
Arguably Masvidal isn’t the most deserving. But he’s getting it. And everyone in the division is calling him out, wanting to face him. Including the biggest draw ever in the UFC, Conor McGregor. So the belt might not have been real but it’s having real-world consequences and positively affecting careers.
In essence, Nate Diaz changed the game. Nate once competed for a title at 155 but never has at welterweight. Either has Masvidal. Suddenly, two tough veterans are in title contention because they created their own belt and made a main event all their own.
There is now a precedent this has proven to work. You want to be the champ, you can’t wait for fans or the UFC. Sometimes you have to do it yourself. Even an NMF needs to ask for his due.
When Nate Diaz was away for three years, he came back to face Anthony Pettis. A good choice. He was a lightweight champion who had moved up to 170 but never really wowed anyone in the division. That is, of course, until Pettis KO’d, ironically enough, Wonderboy. Something no one had done to the great striker. Sure Tyron Woodley and Darren Till knocked him down, but no one had finished Thompson… let alone in the first round.
Out of nowhere, Pettis, a past his prime, well known, flashy ex-champ that tended to fold under pressure was thrust right to the top of the division. And Nate saw the perfect opponent for his comeback.
Diaz returns, beats Pettis in a fun three-round back and forth affair, then calls out another opponent for his hypothetical belt. Even the promotional team saw the value of having two tough street dudes go at it in a sport currently dominated by lifelong martial artists and Olympians.
If the BMF belt was a response to a certain kind of fighter, maybe another certain kind of fighter should have their own belt in response. Great fighters deserve high profile fights, whether they have the tough guy personality or not.
How about two lifelong martial artists that are soft-spoken and friendly but deadly at their distinct disciplines. The NMF champion. In a world of trash talk. Here’s a fight for all the nice guys out there.
So who perfectly encompasses that, and is at 170 pounds? Damien Maia.
Maia is a former middleweight title challenger and fought for the welterweight belt against Woodley. He’s always super friendly and respectful towards his opponents, win or lose. And the 42-year-old BJJ world champion is quietly on a three-fight win streak.
So it isn’t as if Damien doesn’t deserve to legitimately be in the title discussion anyway. Maia has been in title contention in two weight classes, facing high profile opponents, for close to 10 years. But this title fight might be is just enough to put him over. And who knows, maybe the third times the charm for a championship belt.
If what first put Masvidal on this meteoric run was a record-breaking five-second KO of Ben Askren, Damien Maia likewise just submitted Askren in the last bout before Ben’s recently announced retirement. Maia himself has also discussed the fact that he only has so many fights left in him before he hangs it up.
The problem is Wonderboy has already fought for the title against Tyron Woodley; twice actually. So the organization has been leery of seeing it again. So long as Tyron was the champ, Wonderboy wasn’t going to get another chance. Luckily for Thompson, Tyron no longer has the belt.
Kamaru Usman, meanwhile, already fought and beat Maia in a controversial bout. Maia took Usman’s back but was incorrectly stood up due to inactivity, somehow not realizing how close Kamaru was to potentially being stopped. A potential rematch could have some good drama to it.
Damien is definitely a fan favorite. An aging antique, the old school BJJ specialist looking to go to the ground, solely focused on securing a submission. The heir to the Royce Gracie style that stretches back to UFC 1. And he’s already beaten Jorge Masvidal as well.
The UFC has a deal to produce a certain number of PPV events per year. Usually about 12, one a month. And they prefer to have the main event be a title fight. That’s one of the reasons why Dana White liked the BMF title idea so much. They could have a headlining title bout without having to go to their stable of champions. All of whom would demand higher pay.
Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson versus Damien Maia for the NMF title. The classic striker versus grappler dynamic that long-ago first helped to popularize the sport.
The MMA world will be on board and the UFC should like the idea. It gives two well-known and well-liked veterans a chance to headline an upcoming PPV event. The winner gets to put themself into actual title contention to boot.
Now Usman has the BMF winner, the NMF winner, and Leon Edwards to contend with. Plus, Santiago Ponzinibbio and possibly 5-0 in the division Geoff Neal. Suddenly, the welterweight division, which seemed to be lacking opponents, is more stacked than ever.
So fight fans, let’s spread the word. Dana White, please make this fight happen. Now is the perfect time for it.
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