The UFC has unveiled a new AI-powered ranking system running alongside the existing media rankings, with the AI model currently having no impact on matchmaking. The overhaul sees established veterans such as Carlos Vera, Brian Ortega, Josh Emmett, Mirsad Bektic, Derrick Lewis, and Jessica Andrade removed from the top 15. The new system also eliminates the pound-for-pound rankings, which UFC president Dana White justified by calling them too subjective. Questions remain over the placement of fighters like Kevin Borhaug and Bo Nickal, whose high positions appear difficult to reconcile with their records and level of opposition faced.
The UFC has introduced an AI-generated ranking system, unveiled on June 23, 2026, that operates in parallel with the existing media-voted rankings without yet influencing matchmaking decisions. The rollout has drawn widespread attention after several familiar names disappeared from the top 15 across multiple divisions, and questions surfaced about the credibility of certain placements within the new model.
Among those dropped from the rankings are veterans Carlos Vera, Brian Ortega, Josh Emmett, Mirsad Bektic, Derrick Lewis, and Jessica Andrade — fighters with long UFC track records who no longer appear in the top 15 under the AI system. The overhaul also eliminates the pound-for-pound rankings entirely. UFC president Dana White defended that decision by characterizing pound-for-pound lists as too subjective to be meaningful.
The new system has drawn particular scrutiny over the positioning of middleweight prospect Bo Nickal. The 30-year-old American, who trains out of American Top Team Happy Valley, carries a 9-1-0 professional record. Nickal lands 3.35 significant strikes per minute at 61 percent accuracy and averages 3.1 takedowns and 2.5 submission attempts per 15 minutes — elite-level output, but accumulated largely against opposition that critics argue does not yet justify a high ranking. Kevin Borhaug has drawn similar skepticism over his placement.
Why it matters
- Veterans with proven UFC records have been displaced, reshaping the competitive landscape across several divisions overnight.
- The removal of pound-for-pound rankings eliminates a widely referenced benchmark for cross-divisional comparisons.
- Nickal and Borhaug's rankings raise legitimate questions about how the AI model weights level of competition versus raw performance metrics.
- The system currently carries no matchmaking authority, but its long-term role remains undefined.
