UFC's New AI Rankings Draw Mixed Reactions From Fans, Media

The UFC's new artificial intelligence ranking system has sparked confusion and criticism since its rollout earlier this week, with fans and media members questioning whether the Meta-powered approach addresses longstanding credibility problems.

MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Jed Meshew addressed the backlash on the latest Between the Links episode, where the panel examined how fighters shifted positions under the new algorithm. The promotion partnered with Meta to replace its panel of media voters with a data-driven model, but early results left many observers scratching their heads at the placement of certain fighters.

Poirier Arrest Video Goes Viral

The show also covered Dustin Poirier's recent arrest and the accompanying video that spread across social media. Josh Hokit's decision to stand by his post-fight comments following his UFC White House stoppage win drew further discussion, as did Manel Kape's knockout of Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC Vegas 119.

Looking ahead, the panel previewed UFC Baku's main event between Rafael Fiziev and Manuel Torres, plus the newly announced Dricus du Plessis versus Kamaru Usman headliner set for UFC Oklahoma City.

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• MMA Fighting — BTL LIVE NOW: Reaction to new UFC rankings, Dustin Poirier, Josh Hokit doubles down