The UFC 299 main event between the UFC bantamweight champ Sean O’Malley and Marlon Vera is different from the ones of its kind. Generally, the contenders holding the top ranks in a division go on to fight for the title. However, ‘Sugar’ preferred ‘Chito’ as his first title defense rival, which is why the #5 ranked UFC bantamweight will fight for the divisional crown at UFC 299. But such anomalies have often got the fans in confusion about the UFC ranking system. Here’s a deeper dive to learn some more about their importance.
The UFC may have numerous fighters in each division. But its rank card contains only 15 spots for each. Several fans may have come across the term “unranked contenders”. They are those fighters who weren’t ranked in the top 15 at that point. Hence, every fighter’s primary goal after the UFC debut is to get inside the top 15 of their division.
The UFC rankings also facilitate several other processes in the promotion. Here’s a look at a few factors which clarify the importance of UFC rankings.
- Electing title shot contenders
- Overall Matchmaking
- Fighter Payouts
- Fighter Promotion
The in-octagon performance is the most important criterion for fighters to gain spots in the UFC rankings. However, a few other factors like being active and the quality of rivals are also taken into notice.
Such an impact on the rankings due to poor performance was seen recently. The noted former UFC featherweight champ, Alexander Volkanovski has been going through a pretty rough patch in his career. His drop in the UFC rankings indicated how important a fighter’s in-octagon performance is to maintain their rankings.
Alexander Volkanovski dropped four spots in the UFC rankings after his devastating losses
Most fans may remember that ‘The Great’ stayed on top of the UFC’s pound-for-pound fighter rankings for a long time. But his career has been going through a rough patch from UFC 284. Since then, the Australian has picked up three losses in his last four outings. His fans were severely disheartened when they witnessed the former top UFC pound-for-pound fighter drop down to the #7 spot on the list.
With the UFC getting increasingly competitive every day, ‘Volk’s’ drop serves as a perfect example of how every fighter needs to be on top of their game all the time. However, several fans may raise questions about the UFC ranking system if the UFC 299 main eventer, #5 ranked Marlon Vera, manages to defeat the UFC bantamweight champ, Sean O’Malley, on March 9.
