The Fallacy of rank importance.

[revoltub]

Rank is talked about a lot, especially when talking about fighters who quote "haven't fought anyone". However, I think we can all gree on a few things:

- When a fighter enters the ufc he automatically gets a boost in the rankings. Why? Because the ufc only ranks the ufc. Therefore of course any fighter outside the ufc will seem like they are outside the top 20 or 10, even if they are really in the top 15 or so by mma, not ufc, standards.

check out the difference in the fightmatrix BW and UFC BW rankings especially. half the guys arent in the ufc, therefore if you only rank the ufc guys from the op 15 can enter the top ten. A very WWE way of working and a good way to manipulate the audience.

Also, a fighter ranked top 10 in the ufc may not even be ranked there in all of mma. In short, casuals who don't know mma and only know ufc are fooled by ufc rankings which are watered down and neglectful.


- There can be no ties in rankings. I think we can all agree that there are some fighters who are just on an even playing feild with each other. Whether we are ranking by skill or actualy fights. Some guys realistically could and should be ranked exactly the same. However we can't do rankings like that. How ridiculous would it be if the mw rankings looked like this?

C(Bisping)
1. RockHold, Jacare
2.Wiedman . Romero
3, Henderson, Silva

In reality, a guy may be at 45 who is just on par with the guy at 35. I understand that we need rankings as part of elimination, but I think we get too caught up in it. Especially when we talk about ufc rankings especially.

I wouldnt say Eddie Alvarez fought many "ranked" guys in bellator but he did fine in ufc. As did other guys. that is just a small example.

 

[GrantB13]

Sounds like there should be groups or bubbles of Top Contenders, Midfield, and Lower Ranked but more flatteringly named. All the top contenders are on the verge of a title shot but are all virtually equally deserving. Rankings aren't exactly law, but giving title shots to guys like Henderson is a bit much.

I'd equate rankings to electron clouds. You know about where the electron is, but all you know is the probability of it's location. Everyone is probably in the same level of contendership as the 5-6 guys around him.

 

[JayPettryMMA]

More like bore me, aye.

And are you surprised that fighters that join the top MMA organization in the world are ranked higher than the rest, likely due to strength of schedule?

 

[SeattleFightFan]

usually when people say rankings are by and large meaningless (EDIT: i should say "have less meaning than they pretend to carry"), they mean one of 2 things:

a) rankings cannot ever be quality because there aren't enough fights - and enough common opponents - to bring subjectivity down to a reasonable level. and by enough fights i mean both across a career AND in any given year.
b) even with rankings, a #13 can get a title shot

both are correct.

i'm not exactly sure what you're getting at though.

 

[phatron]

in b4 the rankings dont matter guy

 

[Limbo Pete]

in b4 the rankings dont matter guy

@Emjay

 

[revoltub]

More like bore me, aye.

And are you surprised that fighters that join the top MMA organization in the world are ranked higher than the rest, likely due to strength of schedule?

strength of schedule according to who?

 

[SeattleFightFan]

Last point: people used to make this point about 'competition' years ago, and then the WEC LW's came in and UFC's cleaned house. That's a pretty big asterisk on the argument.

 

[Emjay]

...rankings dont matter ...

This is the only answer really

 

[Ube]

Rankings don't fucking matter. If fucking Cody pfister had 30 million Twitter followers and the prospect of making the ufc 150 mil loomed, they would put that fucker up against Lawler or stipe or whomever.

 

[BangersAndSmash]

Ranking's aren't scientific, and the UFC uses their rankings purely for hype. Sherdog's rankings are much more thought out and comprehensive, but at the end of the day there still not going to gel with everyone.

 

[Which Doctor]

Rankings don't fucking matter. If fucking Cody pfister had 30 million Twitter followers and the prospect of making the ufc 150 mil loomed, they would put that fucker up against Lawler or stipe or whomever.

Just wait; it's gonna happen.

War Phister!