EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe UFC BMF title has a lot of pressure and connotation attached to it. Whenever a BMF belt is on the line, a wild, no-holds-barred fight is expected. Well, many UFC fans did not get what they were expecting on Saturday, when Charles Oliveira controlled Max Holloway for five rounds on his way to becoming the newest BMF champion. Have time and conjecture taken the shine off of the UFC's most unique honor? Is there a certain Irish megastar who can bring back the appeal?Those questions and others about 21-year-old phenom Raul Rosas Jr. and Fighting Nerds front man Caio Borralho came to mind after the main card performances at UFC 326 in Las Vegas.It's time to retire the BMF beltI know it feels obvious to say this immediately following a lackluster BMF fight, but let me just remind everyone that I wrote this at the beginning of the year in my bold predictions for 2026.Even before Charles Oliveira's grappling-heavy performance on Saturday, the writing was on the wall, in my opinion, for the end of the BMF. Sometimes, it's just best not to be greedy. The BMF concept has played out exceptionally well since 2019. The UFC and its fans could not have asked for more. It has featured all of the most appropriate names and has delivered some all-time classic moments. At some point, the magic was going to run out.The more the UFC runs the belt out there, the less relevant its history will feel -- which would be a real shame, given everything I just mentioned. The BMF acknowledged the attitude, stardom and fun of Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal in 2019. It created a platform for Max Holloway's finger point and gave additional meaning to Dustin Poirier's final walk. It turned into one of the best highlights of "The Highlight" Justin Gaethje's career.Now, it's time to wrap it up. I can't really think of an appropriate name for Oliveira to face next with the belt on the line. The only option would be Conor McGregor, which would be fine; but if the UFC were to make that fight, I don't think anyone would care whether the belt was attached. If the UFC wants to keep the title going for a McGregor fight, cool. We'll take Oliveira vs. McGregor under any circumstance we can get it. But beyond that, retire the BMF while it still has meaning. -- Brett OkamotoBorralho adds a W but did not make a statementFacing a fellow resident of your weight division's top 10 is an opportunity to separate yourself from the crowd, but the Caio Borralho versus Reinier de Ridder co-main event didn't do a whole lot for either middleweight.Borralho took the victory, bouncing back from a loss in September that had halted a 17-fight unbeaten streak. Getting back on track is a positive, but he tired badly toward the end of the three-round fight. He stung de Ridder with punches a few times, but Borralho never appeared close to putting away his opponent. It was not a memorable performance.As for de Ridder, this was a continuation of the roller-coaster ride he has been on since signing with the UFC in 2024. He won in his first four Octagon appearances, including a TKO of touted prospect Bo Nickal and an eye-opening victory over former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. But the hype train hit a brick wall in October, when de Ridder ran out of energy against Brendan Allen and his corner stopped the fight. On Saturday, de Ridder looked lackluster again.The real winners of this bout are the fighters above de Ridder and Borralho in the 185-pound rankings, including Nassourdine Imavov and Sean Strickland, who need not worry about getting leapfrogged in the title picture. -- Jeff WagenheimRosas still has a lot to learnRaul Rosas Jr., 21, collected the biggest win of his career by sweeping the scorecards against 38-year-old veteran Rob Font. Rosas secured a whopping 16 takedowns, a new record in three-round men's bantamweight fights. He collected over 10 minutes of control time to secure the victory and will likely crack the UFC's rankings this coming week.As important as it was for him to win this fight, there are still plenty of questions surrounding Rosas' readiness to compete at the top level in the bantamweight division. Rosas showcased excellent grappling and top control but played it extremely safe against an opponent who posed no threat on the ground. If he truly wants to retire by 25 years old after becoming a champion, as he's continually said, his offense needs to evolve. Fighters such as Umar Nurmagomedov, Cory Sandhagen and Mario Bautista have a more diverse set of skills that will be tough for Rosas to combat.Still, he's young and shows a lot of promise. It's expected that Rosas' striking and finishing prowess will improve over time, but the idea that he only has four years left in MMA doesn't sound realistic if he wants to reach the best version of himself. -- Andreas Hale
