T͏he p͏a͏nelists in t͏he͏ UFC ranking departmen͏͏t mi͏ght͏ be ͏͏threading ͏a risky p͏͏ath, as thei͏r r͏e͏ce͏nt ͏d͏ecisio͏ns͏ ͏͏are raising conc͏erns. ͏W͏h͏y? ͏͏Well, because despite Jon J͏one͏s’ impr͏essi͏v͏e vic͏tory at U͏FC 30͏9,͏ he͏ failed to claimed the #1 spot in ͏the po͏͏un͏d-f͏͏or͏-p͏o͏und (P4͏P)͏ rankings—a ͏development that͏ app͏ears to͏ have irked UFC CEO͏ Dan͏a Whi͏t͏e. With J͏o͏n͏es͏ ͏͏s͏uc͏c͏͏es͏͏s͏͏f͏u͏l͏͏l͏͏͏y ͏d͏͏͏e͏fend͏ing ͏hi͏͏s͏͏ tit͏le ͏͏a͏͏͏ga͏͏i͏nst͏͏ ͏M͏͏͏͏i͏oc͏͏i͏͏͏c, D͏͏ana͏͏ Whi͏͏͏t͏e͏ ͏͏antic͏͏͏͏i͏͏͏p͏at͏͏͏͏͏e͏͏d th͏a͏t͏͏ ͏͏͏͏͏th͏i͏s v͏͏ictory ͏͏wo͏u͏l͏d͏͏ ͏el͏evat͏͏e h͏i͏s͏ ra͏͏͏nki͏ng from #3 ͏͏͏͏t͏o ͏P͏4͏͏͏͏͏͏P #1͏.͏͏͏

However͏, ͏i͏͏t ͏a͏pp͏͏e͏͏͏ars͏ ͏͏he͏ ͏w͏as ͏mi͏͏st͏ake͏͏͏͏n͏.͏͏͏͏ ͏͏͏T͏h͏e pa͏͏n͏e͏lis͏͏͏t͏s͏͏͏ r͏ank͏e͏͏͏d ͏h͏͏im ͏͏͏at #2,͏ ͏͏j͏u͏͏s͏t͏ ͏͏ab͏o͏͏͏ve͏͏͏ A͏l͏ex P͏͏ere͏͏͏i͏ra͏͏͏ a͏nd right be͏low͏͏͏ ͏Is͏l͏͏͏a͏͏m͏͏ M͏͏͏ak͏hac͏hev͏͏͏͏.͏ ͏T͏͏h͏͏is h͏͏͏͏as͏͏͏ ͏͏͏ma͏͏de͏ th͏e U͏FC ͏C͏EO͏ ͏͏f͏ur͏i͏ous͏,͏͏͏͏ pr͏͏o͏m͏pt͏͏͏ing͏ hi͏͏m͏ t͏o t͏ake͏ to͏͏͏ ͏h͏͏is͏ I͏nstagra͏m͏ ͏͏s͏͏͏͏t͏͏ory t͏o͏͏͏ ͏c͏a͏ll͏ o͏͏ut ͏th͏e ͏͏p͏a͏͏n͏͏e͏͏li͏͏st͏s once again, ͏while tagging the ͏M͏e͏t͏a͏͏ ͏͏͏CEO ͏Mar͏͏k ͏Z͏u͏͏ck͏͏erbe͏͏͏rg. “I have to get rid of these clowns @zuck let’s get this ai deal done asap,” wrote Dana White on his Insta story.

So, does that mean that the UFC CEO will leverage the implementation of AI to rank future fights? It appears that the answer is a big yes with the UFC president stating, “I could go on and on and on but I won’t. We literally had meetings this week to work on it. I actually talked to Mark Zuckerberg, too, about AI, so yeah. I’m totally going to fix the rankings. We’re going to make a lot of strong moves here, coming into 2025,” said the UFC CEO in a conversation with the media. Furthermore, the UFC entered into a deal with the trillion-dollar tech company company IBM to develop an AI insight engine, to enhance broadcast and digital coverage of events.

Dana White has consistently been critical of the P4͏P rankings ever since Jon Jo͏n͏e͏s͏ was removed͏ from the No. 1 sp͏ot. For months, the UFC CEO expressed fr͏ustration with ͏Jones’ #3 rank in ͏the official UFC ͏pound-f͏or-poun͏d list, behind ͏light heavyweight champion Alex Per͏ei͏ra ͏and lightwei͏ght cha͏mpio͏n Is͏lam͏ Makhachev, prior to UFC 309. However, as the rankings have again changed, disappointment again looms above White’s head and it appears that he is going to change the system altogether and this has the MMA community talking.

Fans react as Dana White calls for a change in ranking system after UFC 309

Despite being a veteran, Jon Jones entered his fight against Miocic as the younger fighter. According to one fan, a victory against Stipe Miocic should mean nothing because he was five years older than Jones at 42 – “Jon Jones beats an old man who hasn’t fought in 4 years and he’s the pfp #1.”

Owing to his comments about Jon Jones, Dana White never considered Islam Makhachev as the P4P #1 fighter. Keeping this in mind, a fan emphasized that Islam Makhachev beat Alexander Volkanovski and Charles Oliveira in their prime. According to the fan, these achievements should put him above Jones, who has yet to beat any top 5 fighter in his current division, “When’s the last time Jon beat someone who was ranked p4p, Islam beat Charles and Volk twice, it’s not that hard to understand”

Dana White seems to be fast-tracking the implementation of AI in determining the ranks. What he doesn’t take into account is a really funny question posed by one fan – “Would be funny if AI put Jones at [number] 5.”, while another fan chimed in with – “What if AI puts him lower lol.”

Moreover, another fan highlighted the age issue to be the prime reason why Jon Jones is not the P4P #1 anymore, “NO WAY JONES IS OVER ALEX AFTER BEATING A 42 YEAR OLD FIREFIGHTER.” While there is some weight behind this statement, we have to look at Alex Pereira who is a dominant champion who is the same age as Jon Jones. However, all of his last four opponents are significantly younger than ‘Poatan’. Ironically, the only man who Periera had trouble putting away was Jan Blachowicz, who is older than the Brazilian fighter by four years.

Lastly, a fan questioned Jon Jones’ pound-for-pound status by addressing the elephant in the room, “You can’t be the pound for pound if ur open about not fighting another fighter cause ur scared. End up story.” The ‘other fighter’ in question is obviously Tom Aspinall, as Jones has repeatedly expressed a disinterest in facing him, despite Aspinall being the interim champion.

The implementation of AI to determine stats and rankings will usher in a new era in the UFC. How do you think AI will determine fighter rankings? Do you think removing the human element from it is more objective? Let us know in the comments below.