UFC launches Meta rankings system, ending media voting era

The UFC scrapped its media-voted rankings on Monday in favor of an algorithm built with Meta.

The Las Vegas promotion rolled out what it calls Meta UFC rankings, described as a data-driven athlete evaluation system that calculates fighter standings without human input. According to a Monday release reported by Sherdog, the rankings update every Monday following an event and weigh factors including opponent quality, win method, recent activity, and weight-class variables.

White calls old rankings system inadequate

UFC CEO Dana White, who has spent years criticizing the media panel approach, said he believed there had to be a better option. "I've been unhappy with the rankings and always believed there had to be a better way," White stated in the release. "We've always been a company that runs toward technology and innovation, and now we've worked with Meta to integrate it directly into our rankings system."

Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg said the system analyzes performance at a deeper level to create more transparent and accurate standings. The UFC site still offers a toggle between the Meta rankings and the legacy media poll.

Early results raised questions. Alex Pereira landed at fourth among heavyweights despite losing his division debut to Ciryl Gane by second-round stoppage at UFC White House on June 14. At flyweight, Kevin Borjas entered the top ten at tenth despite a 2-4 UFC record, and at women's bantamweight, Joseyne Edwards debuted at number one ahead of former champions Julianna Pena and Raquel Pennington.

The system penalizes inactivity and weights recent bouts more heavily, which explains Jamahal Hill sitting fifth at heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight despite no win since January 2023. The first updated Meta rankings go live following this weekend's event.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — UFC officially launches Meta-based rankings system