UFC teases new rankings system not based on ‘opinion or popularity’

A new system for the official UFC rankings is on the horizon.

UFC CEO Dana White has teased an overhaul to the promotion’s ranking system from several years. From using AI, to a system designed by Mark Zuckerberg and Meta, there have been a number of instances in which it seemed the long-used format to rank UFC athletes would go out the window.

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Nothing of significance has changed despite all the talk, but now it appears a real adjustment is coming, though the details are still scarce.

UFC play-by-play announcer Brendan Fitzgerald revealed during Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 278 broadcast that new rankings are coming, and the key point of emphasis when describing it was that it will be entirely merit-based off in-cage performances, rather than any voters being able to sway the list because of personal bias, opinions based on fictional intangibles, or taking the name value of an athlete into account.

“For years, the top 15 in each division has shaped title shots, contender status and how fans debate the sport,” Fitzgerald said. “A new UFC ranking system is currently being developed that will be based on measurable performance, not opinion, not popularity. By evaluating who you beat, strength of competition, activity and consistency. The system is being designed to reward performance and better reflect results inside the octagon.”