After plenty of discussion surrounding a potential overhaul to the UFC’s rankings, the promotion has officially confirmed that changes are coming at the start of the new week.
At the start of the UFC Vegas 119 main card, the promotion announced that a new rankings system would be put in place beginning Monday, June 22.
The new rankings system will be algorithm-based. This system, according to the UFC, will be “a more data-driven approach designed to reward performance and accurately reflect what happens inside the Octagon.”
This ranking system, according to the UFC commentary team, will “be based on measurable performance, not opinion, not popularity, by evaluating who you beat, strength of competition, activity and consistency.”
The UFC rankings were first introduced in February 2013 as a way to create consistency across weight classes when it comes to high-stakes fights, competition among combatants, and creating context for these competitors and their fights.
Traditionally, the UFC has promoted that the rankings — made up for each weight class, as well as a men’s and women’s pound-for-pound rankings — were determined based on voting across MMA media members.
Posts from years past made on Bloody Elbow and Reddit, however, have exposed that the rankings voters listed may be either outdated or fabricated.