UFC President Dana White has once again expressed frustration with the official UFC rankings panel, taking issue with their handling of the pound-for-pound list following UFC 309. The event, which took place at Madison Square Garden, marked the highly anticipated return of heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Jones successfully defended his title with a third-round TKO victory over Stipe Miocic, who hadn’t fought in over three-and-a-half years. Jones himself returned from a 20-month layoff, making the dominant performance even more impressive.
Despite the victory, Jones was not elevated to the No. 1 spot on the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings. Instead, he moved up one position to No. 2, leapfrogging light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira but still trailing lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, who remains at the top.
This outcome did not sit well with White, who took to Instagram Stories to voice his displeasure. “I have to get rid of these CLOWNS!!” White wrote. He tagged Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, stating, “(Mark Zuckerberg), let’s get this AI deal done ASAP!!!!!”
White has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with the current ranking system for months, often criticizing the panel for decisions he views as inconsistent or misguided. In October, he hinted at a major overhaul, revealing that he had been in discussions about integrating AI into the rankings process.
“We literally had meetings this week to work on it,” White said during a press event last month. “I actually talked to Mark Zuckerberg, too, about AI, so yeah, I’m totally going to fix the rankings. We’re going to make a lot of strong moves here coming into 2025.”
The partnership with Zuckerberg could signal a significant shift in how UFC rankings are determined. Meta’s expertise in artificial intelligence could lead to a system that minimizes bias and emphasizes objective metrics, aligning more closely with White’s vision for the sport.
As the UFC moves into 2025, it remains to be seen how White’s proposed changes will impact the rankings process. For now, Jon Jones continues to chase the recognition many—including White—believe he deserves.
