Gilbert Burns asks Dana White to put Jorge Masvidal's BMF title on the line at UFC 287 matchup

Gilbert Burns has proposed a stipulation for his upcoming UFC 287 fight against Jorge Masvidal. ‘Durinho’ referenced the highly-anticipated matchup and requested UFC president Dana White to make it a title fight with Masvidal’s BMF championship on the line.

MMA icons Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz clashed in a welterweight bout that headlined UFC 244 on November 2, 2019. The fight was contested for the symbolic BMF (Baddest Motherf****r) title.

‘Gamebred’ emerged victorious via third-round TKO (doctor stoppage). The stoppage came as the octagon-side doctor called the fight off between rounds three and four due to a dangerous cut above Nate Diaz’s right eye.

Masvidal subsequently competed for the UFC welterweight title twice against Kamaru Usman. Their fights transpired in 2020 and 2021, with Masvidal losing via unanimous decision and second-round KO, respectively. ‘Gamebred’ then faced Colby Covington in March 2022 and lost via unanimous decision.

Masvidal’s BMF title wasn’t at stake in any of these three aforementioned fights. Moreover, UFC president Dana White consistently maintained that the BMF title was a one-time booking and isn’t likely to be on the line again inside the octagon.

Regardless, UFC welterweight elite Gilbert Burns took to Twitter earlier today to suggest that his three-round welterweight bout against Jorge Masvidal ought to be rebooked as a five-round bout with the BMF belt at stake. Tagging Dana White in his tweet, Burns noted:

“Come on @danawhite April 8 has to be 5 rounds! Put that belt on the line! Everybody knows it’s only one guy in the @ufc that fights ANYONE! #ufc287”

Jorge Masvidal fires back at Gilbert Burns’ calls for BMF title stipulation

Soon after Gilbert Burns’ tweet, Jorge Masvidal appeared on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani and addressed Gilbert Burns’ BMF title request. ‘Gamebred’ indicated that he’d be interested in putting the BMF title at stake and competing in a five-rounder only if the UFC renegotiates his bout contract and pays him more. As reported by MMA Fighting, Masvidal said:

“[If] they pay me BMF money, which the UFC ain’t going to up it up for more money, so sorry Gilbert… I already got my contract. I already signed my s***. I could give a f*** less.”

Watch Masvidal’s interview below:

Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal are scheduled to clash in a three-round welterweight matchup, which will serve as the co-main event at UFC 287 on April 8.

The consensus is that a win over a UFC megastar like ‘Gamebred’ could fetch ‘Durinho’ a UFC welterweight title shot. Meanwhile, it’s believed that a win for Masvidal over a top-five welterweight like ‘Durinho’ would not only break his three-fight losing streak but also help him re-enter the title picture.