Dan Hooker says Charles Oliveira 'killed' the BMF belt and 'too many nice guys' got a crack

Hooker, who fights Brian Ortega at UFC Qatar on 21 November, also blames the UFC as Oliveira prepares to defend the title against Diego Lopes.

Dan Hooker says Charles Oliveira has ruined the UFC's BMF title. "It was cool for a bit and then he kind of made it not cool," Hooker told Submission Radio. "I think he killed it."

Oliveira won the belt with a decision over Max Holloway at UFC 326, and his grappling-heavy performance drew criticism as going against the spirit of the title. He makes his first defence against Diego Lopes in the main event of UFC 335 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on 12 December, with Lopes moving up to lightweight for the first time.

Hooker also blames the promotion for straying from what the belt was. "You know where they f*cked it up?" he said. "They should have kept it like Nate Diaz, Masvidal kind of shit. They completely f*cked it when they were like - They had badass motherf*ckers fighting for it like that, but then it should be the guys that want to throw down and just talk shit as well. That was kind of like me, Bobby Green, could lose 20 times and he's still a BMF contender. Then they had Max do it, and he's like the nicest guy in the f*cking world."

Diaz started the title with a promo after a win at UFC 241, which led to him fighting Jorge Masvidal for the first belt at UFC 244, where Masvidal won. Justin Gaethje later beat Dustin Poirier for the vacant title, and Holloway claimed it at UFC 300.

"Talk shit. Say you're going to knock the other guy's head off, that was like our belt," Hooker said. "That was the guys whose careers are a f*cking mess. 'Gamebred' was hot and cold for a minute, Nate Diaz, all our records are a f*cking mess. It's going to be a lot harder for us to get our hands on the nice, shiny, clean one. That's what I'm saying, they let too many nice guys have a crack."

Hooker still likes the UFC 335 main event. "For some reason, they're adamant on this BMF belt sticking around and just having another belt to put up for grabs, but yeah, I like that fight," he said. "I feel like Diego Lopes is a strong contender for that."

Hooker fights Ortega at the ABHA Arena in Doha on 21 November, a booking Renato Moicano has called "the worst fight in the UFC". If Hooker and Lopes both win, he sees a route to challenging Lopes for the title next. "I feel like I can beat Brian Ortega, but now, Diego Lopes beating Charles Oliveira, I feel like that's a much bigger ask," Hooker said.

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