UFC athlete rankings showcase the ladder mixed martial artists need to climb, to become the number 1 contender and get a chance at fighting for the championship belt. However, Dana White has notably detected quite a bit of discrepancies in the list, and even slammed the committee that manages the list, for not putting a fighter like Jon Jones at the pinnacle of the pound-for-pound ladder. And now, he lashed out at the committee again, to side with Khalil Rountree Jr.

The UFC boss had previously promised to fix the system and ensure that the fighters get to the rank that they deserve. It certainly seemed like White had a plan in his mind. Let’s see what the 56-year-old had to say about the UFC athlete rankings. 

Dana White promises to fix UFC athlete rankings

The UFC head honcho took to X and lashed out at the committee that manages the UFC athlete rankings. He was pretty upset with Khalil Rountree Jr. still retaining his position after his phenomenal performance against Alex Pereira. Needless to say, fighting the light heavyweight champion takes a lot more than just guts and skills, and to survive for more than 3 rounds against the ‘Poatan’ is a commendable feat in itself. Such a performance should have been rewarded with at least a lift in the rankings.

The UFC CEO stood in front of a board and said, “Alright, here we go. I know it’s reversed, you can’t see it from here. But the mor-on strike again. Khalil Rountree fights that bada– fight against Pereira, and the mor-ns rank him number 8, keep him at number 8.” 

It was indeed high time for Dana White to take matters into his own hands and try to fix the committee that makes the list. He continued, “Literally this week, I have a meeting to try to fix the rankings and get all these know-nothing, do-nothing motherf—ers out of there. So, hopefully, this week I get this fixed. Have a great day, everybody!”

This was certainly not the first time when White unleashed his fury at the rankings. He has often dissed the system, putting Jon Jones as the P4P greatest. But the whirlpools of change began to swirl following the fight between Renato Moicano and Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC Paris. 

UFC head honcho promised to bring a change in the athlete rankings with AI

Moicano showcased a phenomenal display of his skills against Saint-Denis. He sent forth strong strikes that cut his opponent, and the referee was forced to conclude the bout, giving Moicano a win via TKO by doctor’s stoppage. Such a performance was indeed worthy of moving the Brazilian mixed martial artist higher up in the list. But alas, it was subjected to nothing but criticism. Talking about the rankings, White said, “I don’t agree with that based on what happened in the fight.”

Even Moicano revealed his discontent about the rankings on social media. But now, White has taken it upon himself to fix it all. And AI was the weapon that could help him out. The UFC head honcho said, “So 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.” 

It is indeed high time for the MMA promotion to update itself. Initially, a group of experts sat down together to put forth the list, based on various factors like previous records, on-stage performance, et cetera. But even the smartest of experts can make mistakes, and this mistake has greatly angered White. 

What are your thoughts on Dana White’s action to resolve the problems with UFC athlete rankings? Do you think AI would be a good addition to the MMA promotion? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.