Dana White wants AI to fix below par UFC fighter rankings

Like many fighters, Dana White is fed up with those who decide fighter rankings for the UFC.

Rankings in each weight class have become somewhat of a laughing stock of late, and a real problem for the sport is beginning to unravel. Winners not moving closer to title shots, losers remaining in the title picture, and inactive fighters cementing their position are all major concerns with the current rankings system. 

Dana White has rightfully had enough of those who assign numbers to fighters, making his thoughts known during a recent interview.

“Let’s get into this,” White said while sitting down with Kevin Iole. “Khamzat Chimaev is number 12, Max Holloway is number 10. The guy he knocked out [Justin Gaethje] is number 3.”

“I gotta find some media guys that know the fight sport. That understand the sport of fighting, that are actually doing the rankings.”

As aforementioned, the rankings situation has been far below standard of late and UFC Paris only added to that controversy.

Renato Moicano‘s landslide victory over Benoit Saint Denis — in which he even scored a unanimous 10-8 round against the Frenchman before later earning the TKO victory — didn’t advance him up the rankings.

If UFC Rankings Aren’t Total Bullshit, I Should Be Ranked #6 in the Lightweight Division Tomorrow. Why? In the last 8 months, I’ve fought 3 times and I’m on a 6-fight win streak in the lightweight division, with 5 stoppages. Yet, ranked above me are:

— Renato Moicano UFC (@moicanoufc) October 1, 2024

Related: Dana White thinks ‘the time is now’ to enter boxing

Also upset by Moicano’s dilemma, Dana White revealed a surprise method that he wishes to roll out in the near future. He and his team hope that their idea will fix the issues that persist in the rankings system.

“The rankings are definitely a problem. Moicano, I agree with you 100%. But don’t worry my friend, AI will be here soon and this will all be fixed.”

“We get all these bums that know nothing about fighting out of this sh*t and get AI in here, and we can fix all these rankings.”

“I could go through this [rankings] board for a f***ing hour with you about the rankings and the MMA media.”