DFW: Rankings are important, but ...

Underground
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In mainstream sports, you get into a championship via winning. Professional combat sports are different, and the UFC is no exception. There is no non-profit in charge of MMA, ensuring that the usual protocols in sports are adhered to. You can't get into the Super Bowl if you sell the most jerseys, but in MMA, outside of the PFL, how popular the fight will be matters.

That's how former WWE world exhibition champion of the world CM Punk and his green belt in karate got into the UFC. Critics say that Punk (real name Chick M. Punk) took a spot that someone deserved. Who ever it was that might have been the UFC's #678th hire instead of Punk, you in all likelihood never heard of. And the UFC doubtless made enough money from the extra audience to hire some more fighters.

Inaugural UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo lost his title to Max Holloway and lost the immediate rematch. He bounced back with wins over Renato Moicano (currently unranked) and Jeremy Stephens (currently #8), but then lost to Alexander Volkanovski (currently division champ). Then he dropped to bantamweight, losing his debut to Marlon Moraes, and then he got a title shot. If it makes dollars, it makes sense. And making dollars is making fights that fans will spend their dollars on.

The UFC does have rankings maintained independently of the promotion, but does not have to follow them in determining who gets a title shot. UFC president Dana White joined Laura Sanko recently during an online chat with ESPN+ subscribers, and explained how it works.

“Obviously the rankings are very important,” said White, as transcribed by Farah Hannoun for MMA Junkie. “We always try to stay with the rankings, and it’s always awesome when you have the champion vs. the No. 1, or No. 1 vs. No. 2. But you’ve seen many times when there’s a fight people want to see, we’ll make it.”

White explained the UFC meticulously tracks fighter popularity, which plays a role in matchmaking.

“We know every number and every little detail that goes into making a fight like that,” said White. “All the kids that came off the Contender Series, I know how many people watched their fights on the Contender Series, and it keeps updating because it stays in the system.”

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Just call it entertainment and distance it from the word sport. 

The jersey sales analogy was pretty on-the-nose. Im not mad that the org wants to make money or follow the basic tenets of capitalism ; i expect as much. 

But, contemporaneously bragging about a 10 billion market value, putting phil brooks on multiple ppvs, flaunting your own personal wealth at every opportunity, shitting on every other org in the market space while trying to build a monopoly for years, all while remunerating mma media for pushing your rankings and your narrative, while cutting guys in the top 5 of their respective division ( fitch, yoel, shields ) because you think the sty le  that got them there isnt worth their price tag and paying most of the rest of the roster dog shit is pretty fucked. 

End rant

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The rankings are not independent. The ufc controls them. That was made clear when Khabib beat Gaethje and in the post fight interview said he wanted to be ranked #1 p4p and retire on top. Dana said that the would do that for him and a few days later it was done. 

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It always bugs me when they call the top challenger fighting for the belt #1. 

They're #2 at best. 

How could the champion fight the #1 guy/gal in their division? 

The champ is #1

Always

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JoeHurley -

The rankings are not independent. The ufc controls them. That was made clear when Khabib beat Gaethje and in the post fight interview said he wanted to be ranked #1 p4p and retire on top. Dana said that the would do that for him and a few days later it was done. 

Agreed, and I thought it was dumb. 

If the guy retires why would you rank him, or better yet move him up the rankings?

I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure when GSP announced he was stepping away after the Hendricks fight he was immediately removed from the rankings. 

Same for Cejudo

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knot eye -
JoeHurley -

The rankings are not independent. The ufc controls them. That was made clear when Khabib beat Gaethje and in the post fight interview said he wanted to be ranked #1 p4p and retire on top. Dana said that the would do that for him and a few days later it was done. 

Agreed, and I thought it was dumb. 

If the guy retires why would you rank him, or better yet move him up the rankings?

I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure when GSP announced he was stepping away after the Hendricks fight he was immediately removed from the rankings. 

Same for Cejudo

I figured it was Dana doing whatever he could to make Khabib happy in an effort to get him back for a conor fight at some point. I domt blame him though because thats what he's supposed to do. 

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knot eye - 

It always bugs me when they call the top challenger fighting for the belt #1. 

They're #2 at best. 

How could the champion fight the #1 guy/gal in their division? 

The champ is #1

Always

The Champion is counted. #1 and #2 are meant to list the Contenders. A Champion can’t be in contention for his own title.

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Critics say that Punk (real name Chick M. Punk)

You’re as funny as that racist that you employ Kirik.

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JoeHurley -
knot eye -
JoeHurley -

The rankings are not independent. The ufc controls them. That was made clear when Khabib beat Gaethje and in the post fight interview said he wanted to be ranked #1 p4p and retire on top. Dana said that the would do that for him and a few days later it was done. 

Agreed, and I thought it was dumb. 

If the guy retires why would you rank him, or better yet move him up the rankings?

I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure when GSP announced he was stepping away after the Hendricks fight he was immediately removed from the rankings. 

Same for Cejudo

I figured it was Dana doing whatever he could to make Khabib happy in an effort to get him back for a conor fight at some point. I domt blame him though because thats what he's supposed to do. 

Oh for sure. Dana and company have their reasons and they're financially driven of course. 

I just get tired of the double standards. 

GSP and Cejudo are both HOF fighters, too. 

It's just silly to me to retire in one breath and demand to be vaulted to the top of the PFP rankings in the next breath.

BTW, Cejudo announced his retirement in the cage post fight also. 

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure they were both removed immediately. 

The same should have applied to Khabib. 

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Mr Karate -
knot eye - 

It always bugs me when they call the top challenger fighting for the belt #1. 

They're #2 at best. 

How could the champion fight the #1 guy/gal in their division? 

The champ is #1

Always

The Champion is counted. #1 and #2 are meant to list the Contenders. A Champion can’t be in contention for his own title.

Exactly

When Figueredo rematches Moreno it will be the flyweight champion vs the number 1 ranked flyweight. 

By definition, the champion can only fight fighters ranked number 2 and below. 

Just call it what it is. 

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knot eye - 

It always bugs me when they call the top challenger fighting for the belt #1. 

They're #2 at best. 

How could the champion fight the #1 guy/gal in their division? 

The champ is #1

Always

In boxing, I think the word "champion" has been killed, and there should just be 1-10, knowing that probably all of them are champion from some alphabet org. 

In MMA, the concept of champion and then 1-10 is still a thing.

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JoeHurley - 

The rankings are not independent. The ufc controls them. That was made clear when Khabib beat Gaethje and in the post fight interview said he wanted to be ranked #1 p4p and retire on top. Dana said that the would do that for him and a few days later it was done. 

No Dana fan but how could Khabib not have clinched the PFP title after that? Jones arguably lost his last 2.

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Rankings are silly and have no place in MMA. Rankings work in the NBA, where every team plays 82 games. It doesn't matter if one or even multiple players are injured, or don't want to play, or whatever.  The Utah Jazz can't simply refuse to play the Miami Heat because they don't think it's a good match up, or because it's not at the time they'd like it to be.  Everyone contests the same amount, over the same time period, under the same circumstances.

In MMA, there's always someone injured or squabbling over money, or jumping divisions, or whatever else, so it renders the rankings useless, because the #1 ranked fighter rarely even fights for the title in a lot of cases.

MMA is prize fighting, where the people pay to see the most compelling personalities and exciting action.  Just call it for what it is and move on. 

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