UFC CEO Dana White is one of the most recognized figures in the MMA community. Due to his popularity, he has formed strong connections with several notable individuals, including Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg. Recently, White announced that he aims to fix a significant issue within the UFC, seeking assistance from Zuckerberg to do so.
For some time, UFC CEO Dana White has expressed his dissatisfaction with the UFC rankings. He believes that the panel of media members responsible for determining the rankings often makes unrealistic decisions. As a result, White has publicly stated his intention to completely hand over the UFC rankings to artificial intelligence (AI). To move forward, he has sought assistance from tech giant Mark Zuckerberg.
We literally had meetings this week to work on it and I actually talked to Mark Zuckerberg too, about AI. I’m totally gonna fix the rankings and we’re going to make a lot of strong moves here coming into 2025…
Dana White via UFC on TNT Sports
Interestingly, Dana White and Mark Zuckerberg share a great camaraderie between them. As such, the Meta founder has often graced UFC events on multiple occasions. Due to this, Zuckerberg has also become one of the favorite individuals in the community. White, aware of Zuckerberg’s expertise in technology, seeks to leverage their friendship to enhance and further revolutionize his promotion.
Dana White says he’s been working on the new UFC rankings system this past week
He also says he’s spoke with Mark Zuckerberg about using AI in the new system 👀
“I’m totally gonna fix the rankings.”
🎥 @ufcontnt #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/wFTrp1Uw82
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 24, 2024
The UFC boss’s recent decision comes after several prominent fighters expressed frustration with the poor rankings. While the UFC CEO believes that AI could help address this issue, others disagree. Notably, UFC legend Daniel Cormier has pointed out that AI may not capture the detailed nuances of the sport as effectively as ground reporters. Interestingly, an active UFC fighter has also voiced similar concerns.
Renato Moicano proposes an idea to Dana White to fix the UFC rankings issue
Renato Moicano, the Brazilian MMA star, wasn’t happy with the UFC rankings after his recent fight at UFC Paris, where he dominated Benoit Saint-Denis. Following his victory, Moicano anticipated a rise in his lightweight ranking, but that did not occur. Consequently, he criticized the panel responsible for determining the rankings.
UFC CEO Dana White quickly responded to Renato Moicano’s rant by suggesting using AI as a solution. However, Moicano rejected this idea, arguing that it wouldn’t be a logical method to address the issue. This is because the effectiveness would depend entirely on the person programming the AI. While stating that, Moicano proposed an idea from his side as well.
I think it would be best if we do like, a way that is points, you know? So if you knock the guy out, or if you submit him, or if it is a decision against a ranked guy — point-based system, you know what I mean? I think that would be better, that would be more logical.”
Renato Moicano via The Ariel Helwani Show
As of now, there has been no progress on the AI solution for UFC rankings; discussions have only taken place behind closed doors among UFC executives. It will be interesting to see if this solution is implemented and whether other fighters raise any concerns.
