The reliability of MMA rankings has long been debated due to its subjective nature. Though the UFC recently released official rankings, even those are based on opinion.
However, with the help of math, those personal opinions can be removed from ranking systems as much as possible. That is the aim of the following monthly UFC ranking system, which orders fighters in each division based on a formula that heavily weighs results against similar competition.
By removing non-UFC fighters from the equation, many of whom have not proven themselves against elite competition, these rankings eliminate much of the guesswork that goes into personal rankings. That is not to say there are not elite fighters competing outside of the Octagon, but the UFC has become the major league of MMA, and there is no denying that.
Now, let’s take a look at the guidelines that have been used to determine the following divisional UFC rankings.