After another off week on the major MMA landscape, there was no movement in this week’s USA TODAY Sports and MMAjunkie.com MMA Rankings. But this week’s UFC on FOX 8 card provides the opportunity for some changes at the top of a couple divisions.
UFC on FOX 8 takes place at KeyArena in Seattle with top-ranked flyweight Demetrious Johnson putting his title up against No. 5 John Moraga. The night’s co-main event has No. 3 welterweight Jake Ellenberger meeting No. 6 Rory MacDonald. And aside from having ramifications in the rankings, the winner could put himself in line for a shot at the welterweight title against the November winner of No. 1 Georges St-Pierre vs. No. 2 Johny Hendricks.
The rankings take into account a fighter's wins/losses, quality of competition, finishing rate/dominance and frequency of fights.
Fighters are no longer eligible to be ranked after they've been inactive for 24 months, either due to injuries, drug/conduct suspensions, contract disputes or self-imposed hiatuses.
Fighters serving drug/conduct suspensions are eligible to be ranked, so long as they're not inactive for more than 24 months.
To the best of our ability, fighters will be ranked in their primary weight class. Catchweight fights and bouts outside the fighter's primary weight class can have a positive or negative impact on the ranking. However, fighters can be ranked in only one weight class at a given time, and in most cases, they won't be ranked in a new weight class until they've had their first fight at that weight.