Navigate between tabs to learn more about the C-ELO™ system, our Prediction model, and our Betting model.
ELO is a rating system created by Arpad Elo for chess. The concept is simple: beat higher-rated opponents, gain more points. Lose to lower-rated opponents, lose more points. Over time, your rating reflects your true skill level.
MMA isn't one-dimensional. A knockout artist and a wrestler can both win fights, but in completely different ways. Traditional ELO can't capture that. The differences between weight classes, styles, experience, accomplishments, cannot be boiled down to a single win/loss outcome as in chess.
We built C-ELO™ (Combined ELO) specifically for MMA. Unlike traditional systems that reduce fights to simple win/loss outcomes, we calculate eight different ELO categories that capture the full complexity of combat sports.
Each fight updates ratings across all eight dimensions: striking performance (knockouts, knockdowns, volume), grappling excellence (takedowns, control time, submissions), experience differentials, activity levels, win streaks, finish types (decision vs knockout vs submission), championship context, and the foundational ELO calculation.
These eight categories are then combined into a single C-ELO™ score that actually reflects how fighters win and who they are—not just that they won.
The K-Factor Optimization
We also optimized the K-factor (the multiplier determining rating changes) based on fight context. Beating a champion counts more than beating a newcomer. A first-round knockout earns more than a split decision. An upset by a debut fighter over a veteran gets rewarded appropriately. Every detail matters.
This multi-dimensional approach is unprecedented in MMA rankings and creates the most accurate representation of fighter skill ever developed.
Like the 8 sides of the UFC Octagon, each ELO category captures a different aspect of a fighter's skill set and delivers a complete picture. Combining them all together gives us the fighter's C-ELO™ score.
Rankings on GOATRankings are based on C-ELO™ (see above). To show the all-time best fighters, we created Peak C-ELO™ — a version that captures a fighter's career at its highest point.
Peak C-ELO™ shows a fighter’s prime. Even if a fighter slows down later in their career, their peak reflects their true greatness.
To make the rankings even fairer, we added two extra bonuses: Undefeated Bonus and Title Fight Bonus. These make sure the rankings reflect real-world recognition and fan conversations.
Staying undefeated in the UFC is rare and legendary. Fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov or Khamzat Chimaev stand out because they were never beaten in the UFC. A normal Elo system doesn’t fully capture this.
Peak C-ELO™ gives extra credit for remaining undefeated, highlighting the legitimacy of a perfect record.
Elo is relative: beating much lower-ranked opponents doesn’t give a big boost once you’re at the top. Long-reigning champions can look weaker than they really are.
Some fighters, like Demetrious Johnson, had almost no competition in their division for years.
The title fight bonus ensures champions who dominated their division are recognized fairly in the GOAT Rankings.
Fighters are first grouped into championship tiers based on two things: their Peak C-ELO™ score and the total number of UFC title fights they’ve won.
In simple terms: Fighters with two or more title victories are always placed in a higher tier than fighters with no title wins.
This rule exists to ensure that sustained championship success is properly valued at the very top of the GOAT Rankings.
Within each tier, fighters are ranked using the following factors, in order:
In practice, Peak C-ELO™ alone often decides the ranking, but these additional layers ensure historical context and legacy are respected when fighters are close.
Placing multiple champions in higher tiers was a deliberate choice.
That said, we fully recognize that this approach can feel unfair in certain cases — and it’s a topic we expect (and welcome) debate around as the platform evolves with the community.
Dustin Poirier is widely considered one of the greatest fighters of his era — elite wins, legendary wars, and incredible longevity at the highest level.
However, because he never captured an undisputed UFC title, the tier system places him behind most champions in the GOAT Rankings.
It’s a tough pill to swallow (we know 😅), but the GOAT Rankings prioritize championship dominance at the very top. That doesn’t diminish Poirier’s greatness — it simply reflects how rare and valuable title reigns are in UFC history.
On GOATRankings, we have ranked every UFC fighter in history.
Explore our GOAT Rankings:
Peak rankings focus on legacy.
Current Rankings are designed to measure who is performing best right now, not who has the greatest legacy or historical résumé.
These rankings intentionally favor activity, momentum, and recent dominance. As a result, they can differ sharply from GOAT Rankings — and that is by design.
Only active fighters appear in Current Rankings.
This prevents inactive or semi-retired fighters from staying highly ranked without recent performances to justify it.
At the core of Current Rankings is a single value: Current Form.
Current Form represents a fighter’s present-day strength by combining:
Conceptually:
Current Form = Current C-ELO™ + Recent Performance Bonuses
Activity matters in real combat sports. Fighters who compete frequently face more risk, adapt faster, and remain sharper than inactive peers.
To reflect this, Current Rankings apply an Activity Bonus based on the number of fights a fighter has had in the last three years.
The bonus scales progressively — fighters with many recent fights are rewarded exponentially more than fighters who compete just once per year.
Not all wins (or losses) matter equally. What happened last month matters more than what happened three years ago.
To capture momentum, we calculate a Recent ELO Trend using a fighter’s most recent bouts.
For the last 3 fights, ELO changes are weighted as follows:
This ensures that strong recent performances can quickly elevate a fighter, while recent losses meaningfully reduce their standing.
In some rare cases, a fighter's Current Form may be slightly lower than a previous opponent that they defeated.
If this occurs, a ranking boost is applied to ensure that recently defeating an opponent always results in a higher ranking.
Title fights in the last two years receive extra consideration.
This keeps champions and elite contenders relevant without allowing older title reigns to dominate current rankings.
In Pound-for-Pound Current Rankings, champions do not automatically outrank non-champions.
If a contender’s Current Form exceeds a champion’s, the contender will be ranked higher.
Current Rankings are not about belts or legacy. They are about who looks strongest today.
Unlike the vast majority of ranking websites, GOATRankings ranks every active UFC fighter.
Explore our CURRENT Rankings: