Joe Rogan Explains How UFC Rankings System Works – “It’s Based on…”

Recently, Dana White kicked off a storm by claiming that heavyweight champion Jon Jones deserved to be the pound-for-pound #1 ranked fighter in the UFC over lightweight champion Islam Makahchev. What made the comments even more controversial was that the UFC CEO made these remarks at a press conference after UFC 302. This, of course, was the card where Makhachev won his thirteenth straight victory and equaled the record for most lightweight title defenses with his fifth-round victory over Dustin Poirier at the June 1 event. This has made fans curious just how the rankings are decided, which is a subject that Joe Rogan shed more light on recently.

Joe Rogan was asked by comedian Brian Simpson how exactly the rankings in the UFC were determined. The podcast host clarified that a jury of media members decided upon the rankings periodically, and even gave this process his seal of approval. The UFC commentator observed that he ‘rarely’ disagreed with the rankings, which showed the system was working.

“Based on who’s winning it’s voted on. It’s based on the experts, [they] are deciding, like the press… They’re the best rankings we currently have available and most people agree on them. They’re very close to what I would say are accurate. I only very rarely disagree with the rankings,” Joe Rogan said while speaking on the JRE Fight Companions show for UFC Saudi Arabia

The UFC ranking jury is made up of media members from 21 media outlets, who rank fighters individually for the eleven weight divisions and two pound-for-pound lists – men and women every week. The rankings are then aggregated and the final standings are decided upon.

The jury members keep various factors in mind, including recent performances, overall record, nature of victory, and quality of opponent when voting for fighters. Two exceptions are the champions, who are automatically at the top; and interim champs, who are ranked after the fighter in their respective divisions.

Rogan largely agrees with the rankings, except when it comes to the pound-for-pound rankings, about which Brendan Schaub succinctly observed: “The only time you disagree is like the pound-for-pound list, which is stupid anyways.”

Rogan gives his picks for the current P4P king and the MMA GOAT

Agreeing with Schaub, Joe Rogan felt that given the nature of the pound-for-pound rankings, there was inherently a lot of subjectivity in them. The P4P list ranks fighters in the UFC irrespective of their weight class, based upon the same parameters as the divisional rankings, but for the whole promotion.

This is why, unlike Dana White, Rogan felt that an equally good case could be made for Jon Jones or Islam Makhahev being ranked the current #1 P4P fighter. In addition, the stand-up comedian also gave his thoughts about the MMA GOAT debate. Georges St-Pierre, Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson, and Jon Jones all had an excellent case for being considered the greatest ever mixed martial artists, according to Rogan.

“Pound for pound is so subjective, it’s so weird. But it’s like Jon Jones or Islam, you know. You could say Islam you could say Jon Jones, I see both arguments. And then the GOAT pound-for-pound, or the GOAT list I see GSP. I see the argument for Mighty Mouse, I see the argument for Jon,” he said.

What are your thoughts about the current P4P rankings? Are they justified? Drop your take in the comments below.