Rankings were generated by a voting panel made up of media members. The media members were asked to vote for who they feel are the top fighters in the UFC by weight-class and pound-for-pound. A fighter is only eligible to be voted on if they are in active status in the UFC.

A fighter can appear in more than one weight division at a time. The champion and interim champion are considered to be in the top positions of their respective divisions and therefore are not eligible for voting by weight-class. However, the champions can be voted on for the pound-for-pound rankings.

The Meta UFC Rankings are calculated by a mathematical model — not determined by AI or a chatbot. They are driven entirely by fight data, not opinion. Three factors matter most: who a fighter faced, how the fight was won, and when it took place. The value of older fights decays over time, and extended periods of inactivity are penalized. The same rules apply to every fighter.