UFC Works On New Merit-Based Ranking System After Years Of Dana White Frustration
Over the past two years, Dana White has repeatedly called out what he sees as flaws in the UFC’s ranking system. The UFC CEO regularly criticizes the rankings voted on by the media, saying they often fail to accurately reflect fighters’ performances and standings within their divisions. One of the most notable examples occurred in October 2024, when White blew the ratings after Khalil Rountree Jr. ranked No. 8 in the light heavyweight division despite his tough performance against Alex Pereira at UFC 307.
White also had trouble with that pound-for-pound ranking put Islam Makhachev in 1st place when Jon Jones was still actively competing, insisting that Jones was the greatest fighter of all time and held the top spot. The rankings were once again contested following UFC Paris in 2024. Renato Moicano defeated Benoît Saint-Denis, however his position remained unchanged at No. 11 in the lightweight rankings.
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The Brazilian publicly criticized the plan, and Mhlope wholeheartedly supported it, even calling the journalists responsible for the rankings “boomers”. White’s frustration has extended to situations such as Max Holloway being ranked below Justin Gaethje despite scoring more goals. his knockout victory at UFC 300. In response, the UFC boss revealed that he has begun exploring other technology options to replace the current voting system.
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White confirmed that he spoke with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg about the possibility of using artificial intelligence to completely remove human bias and the influence of the media in the measurement process completely. That change that has been discussed for a long time now seems to be getting closer to reality. Under the current format, a panel of media members votes on weekly ratings updates. However, critics have pointed out that the publicly listed polling panel includes a few outlets that aren’t really activated to properly decide on the changes, raising further questions. about system reliability.
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According to UFC analyst Brendan Fitzgerald during Saturday’s UFC Vegas 118 broadcast, a new weighting model is currently being developed. The announcer said, “For years, the top 15 in each division have shaped the image of the title, the status of the competitors, and the way fans argue about the sport. A new UFC system is currently being developed that will be based on measurable performance, not opinion, not fame. By evaluating who you beat, competitive strength, work, and consistency. The system is designed to reward performance and better reflect results inside the Octagon.”
The main emphasis of the proposed system is that the rankings will be determined entirely by cage performance ratings rather than by human voters who are not influenced by personal bias, subjective opinions, perceived intangibles, or a fighter’s name recognition. As previously noted, White has been highly critical of the current standards process, repeating what he sees as inconsistent and questionable decisions.
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He vowed to find a solution and suggested that artificial intelligence could play a major role in fixing it. Since then, there have been reports linking the UFC to it discussions with both IBM and Meta about the AI-driven ranking model. Yet despite those early indications, no replacement plan has materialized in the past year and a half.
Fitzgerald didn’t give any details about the release timeline, while the image shown during the broadcast simply stated that the new level system is coming soon. As a result, it is unclear when the revised model will officially replace the current media-voted format. While the UFC has traditionally allowed members of the media to decide the rankings, the promotion has always retained control over key decisions such as matchmaking, event placement, matchmaking, and title opportunities. While that mandate is unlikely to change, the introduction of a performance-based ranking system may reduce the impact of popularity and public opinion on a fighter’s standing.
