UFC Performance Based Fighter Rankings: Light Heavyweights: May 31/21

There is constant debate about the “official” UFC fighter rankings, which are based on voting from a panel of journalists.  Such is the case with something as subjective as voting – it’s totally based on a voter’s opinion, and biases are bound to seep through, whether intentional or not.  So to try to put a fresh, objective, data-driven spin on rankings, The MMA Manifesto has come up with a performance based ranking system, solely based on how a fighter has performed in the cage.  Next up: The Light Heavyweights.

 

*stipulations: 1) any fighter currently suspended or 2) inactive for at least 12 months (without an upcoming fight scheduled) are excluded from the rankings 

• Scoring based on a fighter’s past 10 UFC performances (we use a five year time limit, so if they have fought less than 10 times in past five years, only the fights within that time frame are counted)
• Points based on a fighter’s opponent’s UFC win/loss record (ie strength of schedule – the more successful a vanquished opponent is, the more points awarded), extra points given for finishes, extra points given for title fight wins.  
• Points are weighed so most recent fights are worth more (ie most recent fight counts the most, 10th most recent fight the least)
• No points awarded for a loss

 

(first column performance based ranking, second column is last ranking, last column is official UFC ranking from UFC.com)

Stats	Last	UFC		Total
Rank	Rank	Rank
1	1	1	Jan Blachowicz	700
2	2	2	Glover Teixeira	396
3	6	7	Anthony Smith	269
4	3	4	Aleksandar Rakic	230
5	4	11	Johnny Walker	217
6	20	3	Jiri Prochazka	192
6	7	9	Volkan Oezdemir	192
8	9	12	Ryan Spann	176.5
9	10	15	Paul Craig	168
10	11	8	Magomed Ankalaev	163
11	8	14	Jimmy Crute	160
12	5	6	Dominick Reyes	135.5
13	12	13	Misha Cirkunov	133.5
14	13		Ovince Saint Preux	130
15	14	16	Jamahal Hill	109
16	15	5	Thiago Santos	106
17	16	10	Nikita Krylov	96
18	18		Ion Cutelaba	94
19	19		Alonzo Menifield	90
20	NR		Darren Stewart	82
21	17		Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua	81
22	21		Da Un Jung	78
23	22		Ed Herman	70
23	NR		Eryk Anders	70
25	23		Kennedy Nzechukwu	59
26	24		Michal Oleksiejczuk	56
27	25		Khalil Rountree Jr	46.5
28	26		Dustin Jacoby	46
29	27		Modestas Bukauskas	40
30	28		Devin Clark	38
31	29		Danilo Marques	19
32	30		Aleksa Camur	18
32	30		Maxim Grishin	18
32	30		William Knight	18
35	33		Mike Rodriguez	13
36	34		Ike Villanueva	10
36	34		Marcin Prachnio	10
38	36		John Allan	9
39	37		Carlos Ulberg	0
39	37		Fabio Cherant	0
39	37		Nicolae Negumereanu	0

 

Check back Friday for our middleweight rankings

Performance Based Rankings:

Heavyweights
Middleweights
Welterweights
Lightweights
Featherweights
Bantamweights
Flyweights
Women’s Feather/Bantamweights
Women’s Flyweights
Women’s Strawweights
Pound for Pound

 

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