The UFC rankings have always been a bit complicated and frequently disputed. Now, UFC CEO Dana White is taking an unexpected turn in his quest to overhaul the system. He is seeking the help of bug guns by bringing in none other than Mark Zuckerberg. The tech mogul probably knows more about using technology to rate cage fighters.
White’s decision to consult Zuckerberg about using AI to fix the rankings is a notch above the conventional. The collaboration makes some sense, though, as Zuckerberg has become quite the MMA enthusiast, showing up at UFC events regularly and becoming somewhat of a fighter himself. This is what White had to say while talking to TNT Sports.
“We literally had meetings this week to work on it. I actually talked to Mark Zuckerberg, too, about AI. So I’m totally going to fix the rankings. We’re going to make a lot of strong moves here coming in to ‘25.”
The current rankings system, which relies on media members’ votes, has been a thorn in Dana White’s side for quite some time. The situation reached its boiling point after UFC 307. Khalil Rountree’s valiant performance against Alex Pereira left everyone scratching their heads about his unchanged ranking.
This AI-powered ranking system could either be the revolutionary change the sport needs or end up making the sport worse for the fans. Either way, one thing’s certain: the days of mysterious media members determining fighter rankings might soon be replaced by algorithms.
Dana White Reveals He Cannot Be Involved In Fighter Rankings
The UFC’s ranking system has been consistently problematic and impossible to ignore. While White often plays the role of the all-powerful wizard behind the UFC’s curtain, he recently admitted there’s one aspect of the fight game he needs to keep his hands off: the fighter rankings.
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During a press conference following Contender Series 76, Dana White opened up about his complicated relationship with the UFC’s ranking system. However, he admitted that getting involved in the rankings would be morally as well as ethically wrong.
“ I don’t think it’s right that we would do the rankings. No matter how unbiased you tried to be it’s impossible and I’ll be honest with you there are some fighters I don’t like, there’s fighters I really like and there’s things that are good for business and there’s thing that you might think I don’t want that in our hands at all.”
Dana White acknowledged having fighters he likes, fighters he would rather not grab coffee with, and business considerations that could cloud his judgment. His admission that his personal biases could turn the rankings is a wise one and could implicate them down the line.
Also Read: Dana White Vows To Completely Steer Clear Of Involvement In Fighter Rankings
