The official UFC rankings (see them here) could be getting a facelift.
UFC CEO Dana White and his matchmaking team are considering an expansion for each division that would increase rankings categories from 15 fighters to 20, citing challenges in the welterweight class as a catalyst for potential change.
“The welterweight division would be a good example,” White said during this week’s “Contender Series” press conference. “We’re in matchmaking, and literally the whole division in the Top 15 have fights. One of the things that we talked about last week in matchmaking was now extending our rankings down to 20 instead of 15. We have almost the whole welterweight division lined up with fights right now.”
Expanding the categories could prove challenging in divisions like flyweight, which is already stretched thin with 15 fighters. For example, David Dvorak is ranked No. 15 but coming off three straight losses, dropping his record to 3-3 inside the Octagon.
UFC may need to beef up its roster or keep the rankings at 15 for the foreseeable future.