Call for change in UFC rankings process
Marc Raimondi for FOX Sports argues coherently that some changes are needed in the process by which the UFC generates rankings.
Marc Raimondi for FOX Sports argues coherently that some changes are needed in the process by which the UFC generates rankings. A Voting Panel of media members votes after each event and within 36 hours a new list is generated.
However, as Raimondi points out, there are some issues. For one, a number of fighters who should not be eligible for voting still are, including:
•Thiago Silva is eligible although he has been released for egregious violations of the fighter code of conduct.
•Brandon Silva can be voted on, and fights for ONE FC in Dec.
•Peggy Morgan and Roxanne Modaferri can be voted on, and they fight for Invicta FC. Further, Anthony Johnson just jumped up two points from #4 to #2, pushing Rashad Evans to #3, when Phil Davis beat Glover Teixeira on Saturday.
Sometimes, the rankings are misguided and that’s the fault of the voters. But the UFC can help media members vote more accurately with better communication. The last few weeks a prompt has shown up on the rankings voting screen saying Rin Nakai and Nate Diaz have been added to the database. Cool. Nick Diaz was added back at some point, too, but there was no notification. He absolutely should be ranked somewhere in the welterweight top 15, but right now he isn’t. Not because the voters don’t want him in there — most likely just don’t know he’s eligible again.
Every week of a UFC event, voters get an email right when the card ends reminding us it’s time to set our rankings. Part of that correspondence should also include changes that have been made with regards to fighters eligible.
At least then, if Nick Diaz is not fairly ranked, it’s on the voters and no one else.
Raimondi’s suggestions are eminently reasonable, and are doubtless being implemented, if they have not already.