The eight Grandmasters of MMA

The nice thing about the Elo ratings used in chess is that they can be applied to many different games and sports, including MMA.  In chess, becoming a Grandmaster requires achieving an Elo rating of at least 2500 at some point in the player's career.  Only eight fighters in the history of MMA have done this.

daniel-cormier

georges-st-pierre-rush

rafael-dos-anjos

chris-weidman

stipe-miocic

jon-jones-bones

12723-max-holloway-lil-evil

tyron-woodley-t-wood

The bad thing about Elo ratings is that they are subject to inflation, so great fighters from the past had little chance of achieving Grandmaster status.  Some, however, have earned lesser titles.

International Masters (highest all-time Elo rating between 2400 and 2500):

jose-aldo-junior

fabricio-werdum-vai-cavalo

luke-rockhold

17398-robert-whittaker

16155-yoel-romero-palacio

robbie-lawler-ruthless

michael-bisping-the-count

14607-conor-mcgregor

anderson-silva-the-spider

anthony-johnson-rumble

Masters (highest all-time Elo rating between 2300 and 2400):

19126-tj-dillashaw

demetrious-johnson-mighty-mouse

16753-stephen-thompson-wonderboy

cain-velasquez

alistair-overeem-demolition-man

fedor-emelianenko-the-last-emperor

demian-maia

ben-henderson-smooth

gegard-mousasi-the-dreamcatcher

18536-khabib-nurmagomedov

eddie-alvarez-the-silent-assassin

ronaldo-souza-jacare

edson-barboza-mendes-junior

rory-macdonald-the-waterboy

frankie-edgar-the-answer

donald-cerrone-cowboy

tony-ferguson-el-cucuy

anthony-pettis-showtime

nate-diaz

johny-hendricks

Candidate Masters (highest all-time Elo rating between 2200 and 2300):

alexander-gustafsson-the-mauler

dominick-cruz-the-dominator

ben-askren-funky

nick-diaz

21780-cody-garbrandt-no-love

jorge-masvidal-gamebred

phil-davis-mr-wonderful

ryan-bader-darth

hector-lombard-shango

16456-aoutneil-magny

18069-andrey-koreshkov-spartan

carlos-condit-the-natural-born-killer

dan-henderson-hollywood

patricio-freire-pitbull

chad-mendes-money

junior-dos-santos-cigano

rousimar-palhares-toquinho

jake-shields

douglas-lima-the-phenom

vitor-belfort-the-phenom

renan-barao-barao

23860-kevin-lee

14206-will-brooks-ill

41355-kelvin-gastelum

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The database I'm using contains 13,409 fighters, so achieving any of the above titles is an incredible accomplishment, and it's worth examining exactly how the top eight--the Grandmasters--obtained their unbelievably high ratings.





Max Holloway achieved Grandmaster status with a victory over Master Anthony Pettis, followed by a victory over International Master Jose Aldo.<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GVyQ-LeISrI/WiXsbcV-zPI/AAAAAAAAAPc/TnvtuotGobAYjk3__BAnyhYnh9aY42w8wCEwYBhgL/s1600/MaxHolloway.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="1600" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GVyQ-LeISrI/WiXsbcV-zPI/AAAAAAAAAPc/TnvtuotGobAYjk3__BAnyhYnh9aY42w8wCEwYBhgL/s1600/MaxHolloway.PNG" /></a>Chris Weidman achieved Grandmaster status with two consecutive victories over International Master Anderson Silva.</p>
Stipe Miocic achieved Grandmaster status with consecutive victories over International Master Fabricio Werdum, Master Alistair Overeem, and Candidate Master Junior Dos Santos.

Daniel Cormier achieved Grandmaster status with two victories over International Master Anthony Johnson and a victory over Candidate Master Alexander Gustafsson.


<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BABq2ytYpVQ/WiXseLrivsI/AAAAAAAAAP8/vaC1-VYlG3wUIPuYCGbWffUE_PNbNGQVgCEwYBhgL/s1600/DanielCormier.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BABq2ytYpVQ/WiXseLrivsI/AAAAAAAAAP8/vaC1-VYlG3wUIPuYCGbWffUE_PNbNGQVgCEwYBhgL/s1600/DanielCormier.PNG" /></a>


Tyrone Woodley achieved Grandmaster status with a victory over International Master Robbie Lawler, followed by a victory over Master Stephen Thompson, followed by a victory over Master Demian Maia.


<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vemkgAR6-7w/WiXsf7W1w9I/AAAAAAAAAP8/ZWvz2GPLtRgESVtxigPlJ-O3s-YI2GG9gCEwYBhgL/s1600/TyronWoodley.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vemkgAR6-7w/WiXsf7W1w9I/AAAAAAAAAP8/ZWvz2GPLtRgESVtxigPlJ-O3s-YI2GG9gCEwYBhgL/s1600/TyronWoodley.PNG" /></a>


Rafael Dos Anjos achieved Grandmaster status by defeating four Masters in a row: Benson Henderson, Nate Diaz, Anthony Pettis, and Donald Cerrone.


<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V_XIlYBfCLI/WiXsfd6L-CI/AAAAAAAAAP8/NZHKzG32fQUHxsDEmJupIcoBDhxePkoCACEwYBhgL/s1600/RDA.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V_XIlYBfCLI/WiXsfd6L-CI/AAAAAAAAAP8/NZHKzG32fQUHxsDEmJupIcoBDhxePkoCACEwYBhgL/s1600/RDA.PNG" /></a>


Jon Jones achieved Grandmaster status by defeating Candidate Master Alexander Gustafsson, followed by a victory over Glover Teixeira, followed by a victory over Grandmaster Daniel Cormier.&nbsp; Jon Jones is the only Grandmaster who has defeated another Grandmaster.


<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Y9uxAxzWok/WiXseRwhfBI/AAAAAAAAAP8/vCIUd5EcRDkZom09J07PceCfqBaC6pr4QCEwYBhgL/s1600/JonJones.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Y9uxAxzWok/WiXseRwhfBI/AAAAAAAAAP8/vCIUd5EcRDkZom09J07PceCfqBaC6pr4QCEwYBhgL/s1600/JonJones.PNG" /></a>


Georges St. Pierre achieved Grandmaster status with a victory over Candidate Master Jake Shields, followed by a victory over Candidate Master Carlos Condit.&nbsp; Subsequent victories over Candidate Master Nick Diaz, Master Johny Hendricks, and International Master Michael Bisping took him to the highest Elo rating in MMA history, 2,604.


<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kpap4pf3Q-c/WiXseS87jcI/AAAAAAAAAP8/In1Ou1JS5SwtMEJPg8aNUZbPz-7xq7sfACEwYBhgL/s1600/GSP.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="1600" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kpap4pf3Q-c/WiXseS87jcI/AAAAAAAAAP8/In1Ou1JS5SwtMEJPg8aNUZbPz-7xq7sfACEwYBhgL/s1600/GSP.PNG" /></a></p>

How does it work

HeHitsMeBecauseImDutch - How does it work

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elo_rating_system

Just going on the groups that some fighters are in, I'd suggest that maybe the ELO system doesn't work so well in MMA

Also so many big names missing. I know you said it's harder for older fighters to achieve a certain ranking but no BJ or Matt Hughes, Chuck or Tito or Randy, Rampage, Shogun, Nog, Wand... But it does include Magny, Lima, Bader, Davis....

Im obviously not getting how this works. 

209'd@170 - 

Just going on the groups that some fighters are in, I'd suggest that maybe the ELO system doesn't work so well in MMA

Could be. Which ones do you think are wrong?

209'd@170 - 

Also so many big names missing. I know you said it's harder for older fighters to achieve a certain ranking but no BJ or Matt Hughes, Chuck or Tito or Randy, Rampage, Shogun, Nog, Wand... But it does include Magny, Lima, Bader, Davis....

Im obviously not getting how this works. 

This is because of rating inflation.  Wanderlei was the best 205 pounder, but he never broke 2000 in Elo.

The takeaway is that we can't use Elo to compare between eras, only within an era.

How the fuck was Anderson Silva a "international master" and not a GM?

Anek -
209'd@170 - 

Also so many big names missing. I know you said it's harder for older fighters to achieve a certain ranking but no BJ or Matt Hughes, Chuck or Tito or Randy, Rampage, Shogun, Nog, Wand... But it does include Magny, Lima, Bader, Davis....

Im obviously not getting how this works. 

This is because of rating inflation.  Wanderlei was the best 205 pounder, but he never broke 2000 in Elo.

The takeaway is that we can't use Elo to compare between eras, only within an era.

Ah ok it's a bit clearer now! I thought it was comparing all fighters, regardless of era

Anek -
209'd@170 - 

Just going on the groups that some fighters are in, I'd suggest that maybe the ELO system doesn't work so well in MMA

Could be. Which ones do you think are wrong?

I’m a bit surprised to see Gustafson, Cruz and Garbrandt in the same group as Brooks, Palhares and Lee. 

Also to see Cruz and Cody a group below TJ considering Cruz beat TJ, Garbrandt beat Cruz and then TJ beat Garbrandt

triforce -

How the fuck was Anderson Silva a "international master" and not a GM?

He was a single solid victory away from Grandmaster status when he lost to Weidman.

You can't apply this system to MMA in this manner.

You're basically rating people at their peak inperpetuum. Anderson Silva that lost to Weidman, wasn't peak Silva.

The Jose Aldo that lost ot Holloway, wasn't the Aldo of 5 years ago. 

According to your system, you could have some random shitlord fight Silva and Weidman when they are in their 50's and become a grand master or whatever the fuck.

So it’s determined on your record?

Osbot -

You can't apply this system to MMA in this manner.

You're basically rating people at their peak inperpetuum. Anderson Silva that lost to Weidman, wasn't peak Silva.

The Jose Aldo that lost ot Holloway, wasn't the Aldo of 5 years ago. 

According to your system, you could have some random shitlord fight Silva and Weidman when they are in their 50's and become a grand master or whatever the fuck.

Ratings decline as soon as the fighter begins to lose.  A random shitlord who beat Silva and Weidman in their fifties wouldn't get much of a ratings boost because Silva and Weidman would themselves have low ratings in their fifties.

HeHitsMeBecauseImDutch - So it's determined on your record?

Kind of.  But it incorporates the strength of your opponents as well.  For example, a fighter whose only victory was over an 0-10 fighter would have a lower rating than a fighter whose only fight was a draw with GSP.

209'd@170 -
Anek -
209'd@170 - 

Just going on the groups that some fighters are in, I'd suggest that maybe the ELO system doesn't work so well in MMA

Could be. Which ones do you think are wrong?

I’m a bit surprised to see Gustafson, Cruz and Garbrandt in the same group as Brooks, Palhares and Lee. 

Also to see Cruz and Cody a group below TJ considering Cruz beat TJ, Garbrandt beat Cruz and then TJ beat Garbrandt

In chess, there are no split decisions.  A win is worth 1 point, a loss worth 0 points, and a draw worth .5 points.  To translate this to MMA, I decided that split decisions should be worth .66 points.  So Dillashaw’s split decision loss to Cruz didn’t hurt his rating as badly as Cruz’s unanimous loss to Garbrandt or Garbrandt’s KO loss to TJ.

Anek -
triforce -

How the fuck was Anderson Silva a "international master" and not a GM?

He was a single solid victory away from Grandmaster status when he lost to Weidman.

He was on a 17 fight win streak against the highest rated middleweights in the world and undefeated in the UFC. 

I’m sorry but you fucked up the elo calculations.

Rafael Dos Santos is a Grandmaster but ole Anderson Silva in his prime is stuck at an IM

And if you’re going by chess standards, it’s not just a simple rating. You need to get "GM norms" meaning you have to beat at least 1 GM in 3 seperate tournaments, not just attaining "2500". 

 

triforce - 
Anek -
triforce -

How the fuck was Anderson Silva a "international master" and not a GM?

He was a single solid victory away from Grandmaster status when he lost to Weidman.

He was on a 17 fight win streak against the highest rated middleweights in the world and undefeated in the UFC. 

I’m sorry but you fucked up the elo calculations.

Rafael Dos Santos is a Grandmaster but ole Anderson Silva in his prime is stuck at an IM

And if you’re going by chess standards, it’s not just a simple rating. You need to get "GM norms" meaning you have to beat at least 1 GM in 3 seperate tournaments, not just attaining "2500". 

 

The calculations are being done by computer, and the same program that’s calculating Silva’s rating is calculating RDA’s, so it’s hard to imagine it systematically over-rating RDA while under-rating Silva. It’s not like Elo is complicated. I have it on GitHub if you want to take a look.

I’m aware of the norms requirement in chess, but achieving 2500 in MMA is clearly hard enough by itself without adding further requirements.

Matt Hughes at one point was 42-4 what category does he fall in?