At UFC 318, Max Holloway shattered the BMF curse by becoming the first to defend the belt while retiring Dustin Poirier in the process. So, the obvious ensuing question is – who should ‘Blessed’ fight next? While fans are calling for a Justin Gaethje rematch or a clash with Dan Hooker, Holloway offered his own solution to end the debate. And that’s what we’ll cover in today’s episode of EssentiallySports’ MMA News Roundup. 

Following that, we’ll take a look at Merab Dvalishvili defending Ilia Topuria’s claims regarding the BMF belt. And finally, we’ll learn about the update for UFC’s return to Rio de Janeiro. So without any further ado, let’s dive right into it!

Max Holloway requests a ranking system for the BMF lineup

After defeating ‘The Diamond’ in a five-round war that went to the judges, the BMF champion didn’t take the spotlight since it was Dustin’s night, but he managed to issue a callout to Topuria — the first man to knock him out in the sport. As of now, Holloway is receiving numerous challenges from fighters aspiring to fight for the BMF belt. The list includes Dan Hooker, Michael Johnson, and many others. And at the UFC 318 post-fight press conference, Dana White remained ambiguous as he claimed that anything is possible for ‘Blessed’ now. This further raises the confusion around Holloway’s next bout. But the Hawaiian has a solution to put all doubts to rest. 

Following the battle with Poirier, Holloway sat down with Dan Hellie, McKenzie Pavacich, and Chris Weidman to break down his recent win. And as the conversation continued, he pleaded, “We need a BMF ranking. UFC, please have a BMF ranking. I’d love that! I mean, I’m not saying no to Dan Hooker. But I’m just saying, ‘Can we please have a BMF ranking so we can see it?’ Actually, I don’t even know if it’s the UFC. Can we get the fans to do it, because UFC’s rankings is f—— all over the place.”

But Holloway’s reign as the BMF champion has also faced a bit of scrutiny. Back when he fought Topuria, he was still the BMF champion. Despite losing the bout via KO, he still continues to hold the belt. Now, the Spaniard has made his claims to the BMF belt, and ‘The Machine’ is backing him up. 

Merab Dvalishvili agrees with Ilia Topuria’s BMF claims

Not too long ago, Chael Sonnen claimed that the UFC made a mistake when they didn’t award Topuria with the BMF belt after he defeated Holloway. According to ‘The American Gangster’, Topuria should have three belts under his control – the featherweight belt and the lightweight belt on his shoulders, and the BMF belt around his waist. However, all he has right now is the lightweight championship belt. 

Nevertheless, Topuria seems confident that he’s the true owner of the BMF belt. Taking to X, he shared a picture of the symbolic belt and wrote, “Still mine 😎.” Merab Dvalishvili was quick to take to the comments section and write, “Facts lol.” But for now, Topuria can only lay claim to the BMF belt if he secures another win against Holloway. 

Now, it’s time to take a look at UFC’s 11th international event in 2025. UFC Rio has recently witnessed the addition of one more fight. Let’s find out who will compete on the October 11th card.

One more fight gets added to the UFC Rio de Janeiro 2025 fight card

Set to go down at the Farmasi Arena, UFC Rio de Janeiro 2025 will feature the main event between Jhonata Diniz and Mario Pinto. The fighting community has also speculated that the event may include Charles Oliveira, Alex Pereira, Caio Borralho, and other Brazilian stars. And as per AgFight, Julia Polastri will take on Karolina Kowalkiewicz on October 11th, in Rio de Janeiro. 

Both Polastri and Kowalkiewicz are coming off defeats in their last bouts. With 9 wins and 9 losses in the UFC, the Polish strawweight will seek to overturn her two-fight losing streak. On the other hand, ‘Psycho’ will try to claim a win in what will be her fourth UFC bout. Right now, she’s lost one fight, with a record of 1-2 in the UFC. Will her fight with Karolina Kowalkiewicz be interesting? Only time will tell. 

What are your thoughts on Holloway’s request for BMF rankings? Do you think Ilia Topuria is the true BMF champion? What do you think of Polastri vs. Kowalkiewicz? Let us know in the comments below.