Charles Oliveira’s recent victory and the manner in which he claimed the “Baddest Motherf***er” (BMF) title in his rematch with Max Holloway have sparked considerable debate within the MMA community. Fighter Bryan Battle weighed in on the bout, sharing his insights as he prepares for his own upcoming fight.
Previously, during a media day ahead of one of his fights, Battle commented on how some people likened his appearance to Charles Oliveira due to his then-blonde hair. When asked for his thoughts on the BMF title fight, Battle stated:
“I think they need to adjust the BMF concept. BMF fights should really only be like ‘shootouts,’ you know what I’m saying? I don’t think you should be able to win a BMF fight by decision. That being said, Charles’ performance was impeccable. It was a beautiful performance. He went out there and absolutely did his thing. Tactically on point, execution phenomenal. You know what I’m saying?”
“But as far as it being a BMF fight, it’s one of those things where a BMF fight, based on its name and how it’s presented, shouldn’t be won by control. There should only be one person standing at the end of a BMF fight. So, yeah, it was straight. It was just like a regular fight, a regular main event. It was still a really good main event, a high-level fight. Charles is one of the best in the world and he showed it again. But as a BMF fight, it was kind of ‘meh.’”
Such contests exist in their own unique niche, as without the BMF title attached, this fight would have been received as excellent. When Battle mentioned that observers have a specific idea of what a BMF title fight should look like, he explained:
“It’s how it’s presented. You know what I’m saying? Honestly, I think one of the groups commented, and it’s true. The style of [similar] championships leans more towards how the BMF is presented. The BMF is supposed to mean ‘bad motherf***er,’ not ‘decision motherf***er,’ you know what I’m saying? As you said, take the BMF belt out of that, and it’s an amazing fight. Hardly anyone would complain.”
“Of course, I’m sure people are still not thrilled about Charles dominating the way he did. Because at the end of the day, that’s really what it comes down to. It was just very one-sided. Charles just kind of took him down and held him down and controlled him. So tactically, fight-wise, that’s exactly what he should do.”
“But, you know, with how the BMF belt is presented, it’s kind of like, ‘Alright, well, what the f*** are we doing here? Why? What’s the point of even throwing a BMF belt on this? Because now you’re setting these expectations. If they’re not met, it f***ing puts a damper on the whole performance, which was still a great performance.’”
Battle: Oliveira Wouldn’t Have Faced Backlash If He’d Secured a Finish
Referencing a past interview where he likened fighting to a game of “chicken” and a car crash in the context of Oliveira’s performance in the BMF title bout, Battle quipped:
“Yes, exactly. A BMF fight should be a big, tactical game of chicken. Where someone doesn’t leave on their feet, someone ends up on their back. I say all this, but if Charles had been able to get the choke, I don’t think anyone would have any complaints. It was a combination of Charles’ dominant control and how good Max’s choke defense was. Because I don’t think most people are surviving Charles’ back control for five rounds.”