Business & promotion
2 stories on this topic, newest first.
UFC's AI-driven rankings system debuts Monday
Dana White confirmed at UFC Vegas 119 that the promotion's new rankings system launches Monday, June 22, replacing reliance on the traditional media panel with an 'objective, data-driven' model that weighs who you beat, strength of competition, activity and consistency. White says human rankings will still co-exist with the AI version, but warned the reset could shake up the board and draw complaints. Inactive fighters could plummet while unranked prospects climb fast.
Why it matters: Rankings drive title shots and pay tiers, so an algorithmic overhaul could reshape contention across every division overnight and invite fresh disputes over how the UFC books its biggest fights.
Dana White says $100M asking price killed Wittman glove deal
With eye pokes again in the spotlight after Tom Aspinall's injuries, Dana White revealed at the Vegas 119 presser that talks to license Trevor Wittman's curved ONX gloves collapsed because Wittman's side wanted around $100 million for the design. Wittman, who has stepped back from his company's business side, told Joe Rogan that UFC's Hunter Campbell recently reignited the conversation. Justin Gaethje, Wittman's protege, said the Freedom 250 gloves felt different and easier to make a fist in.
Why it matters: The curved glove is pitched as a genuine fix for MMA's chronic eye-poke problem, so the stalled deal keeps a known safety issue unresolved even as renewed talks offer a glimmer of progress.
- How a $100 million demand scuppered new glove talks between Justin Gaethje's coach and the UFC (Bloody Elbow)
- Dana White explains why UFC has delayed using Trevor Wittman's new fighter gloves: 'It's impossible' (BJPenn.com)
- UFC in talks with Trevor Wittman to use ONX gloves: 'The ones we're using now are terrible' (MMA Mania)