UFC Performance Based Fighter Rankings: Light Heavyweights: Nov 15/21

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 the 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	2	1	Glover Teixeira	613
2	1	2	Jan Blachowicz	577.5
3	3	5	Anthony Smith	339.5
4	4	4	Aleksandar Rakic	230
5	5	12	Paul Craig	218
6	6	3	Jiri Prochazka	192
7	NR		Paulo Costa	183.5
8	8	11	Johnny Walker	180
9	10	14	Jimmy Crute	160
10	9	7	Magomed Ankalaev	148.5
11	6	9	Volkan Oezdemir	142
12	19		Da Un Jung	139
13	11	13	Ryan Spann	138
14	12	8	Dominick Reyes	135.5
15	13		Kennedy Nzechukwu	117
16	14		Alonzo Menifield	113.5
16	14	6	Thiago Santos	113.5
18	23		Michal Oleksiejczuk	103
19	16	15	Jamahal Hill	98
20	17		Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua	81
21	18	16	Ion Cutelaba	80
22	20	10	Nikita Krylov	76
23	21		Dustin Jacoby	65
24	24		Ed Herman	54
25	25		Khalil Rountree Jr	51.5
26	26		William Knight	36
27	27		Marcin Prachnio	29
28	28		Devin Clark	28
29	34		Nicolae Negumereanu	19
30	30		Maxim Grishin	18
30	30		Tafon Nchukwi	18
32	32		Danilo Marques	17
33	33		Aleksa Camur	16
34	34		Shamil Gamzatov	9
35	36		Ike Villanueva	8
35	36		John Allan	8
37	38		Carlos Ulberg	0
37	38		Fabio Cherant	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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