Dana White Partners with Mark Zuckerberg to Fix UFC's Big Issue

Dana White teams up with internet mogul Mark Zuckerberg to find an AI solution to the UFC rankings.

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC Getty Images

In recent weeks, the UFC's rankings panel has been a point of contention, with many recent ranking changes being scrutinized.

The most vocal advocate for reform is UFC CEO Dana White, who admits that the UFC won't handle the rankings in-house due to bias but prefers a third-party or AI solution.

White Confirms AI Rankings Panel on the Horizon

In an interview with TNT Sports' Adam Catterall on October 24, White confirmed that an AI rankings system is on the horizon, and he's teaming up with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to make it happen.

"I actually talked to Mark Zuckerberg... About AI," White revealed. "I'm totally gonna fix the rankings. We're gonna make a lot of strong moves here coming into 2025."

Dana White talked to Mark Zuckerberg about using AI for the NEW system for UFC Rankings 😱

🎤 @AdamCatterall / @danawhite #UFC308 | Oct 26, 5PM | LIVE on TNT Sports Box Office ➡️ https://t.co/uXQAMHNTBd pic.twitter.com/Es8I45Exdf

— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) October 24, 2024

UFC AI Rankings Are Already in Practice

The team at Fight Minds have already produced an AI rankings panel that operates exclusively on data. The project is open source on GitHub.

"Activity is highly valued," Algorithm programmer Chris Genachte explained. " ... Points are awarded for winning. The importance of whom you defeat, as well as how you win are also factors..."

The results of the AI's decision-making can be seen on the project's ranking panel. For example, Colby Covington is no longer ranked at welterweight despite being No. 6 on the official panel. Fighters like Anthony Hernandez and Paddy Pimblett have also seen more movement with their 2024 victories.

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