Criteria For Best Resume in MMA

The following is the criteria and system I have developed for rating MMA fighters with the best resumé. I will use this framework to rank these fighters based on points awarded. The system I've created is based on my own opinion of what it means to carry such a distinction and is subject to change as we go through this process.

Basic Criteria For Consideration

1. This fighter must have at least 30 professional fights on their record and have 10+ years of professional competition
2. This fighter must/must have competed against other highly ranked (top 15) competitors on a regular basis
3. Their opponents will be judged by their ranking AT THE TIME of these specific fights
4. This fighter must have won at least 60 percent of their fights (winning is important, but there is wiggle room here)
5. This fighter must have fought in a major MMA organization - PRIDE, UFC, WEC, or Strikeforce
6. This fighter can be retired or active
7. These fighter selections will be ranked relative to the strength of their own divisions (whether a division is considered "weak" or not is irrelevant)
8. Bonus points will be given to fighters with higher finishing rates and fighting across different weight classes

Points System


1. Fight against opponent ranked 11-15 = 1 point
2. Win against opponent ranked 11-15 = 1.5 points
3. Finish against opponent ranked 11-15 = 2 points

4. Fight against opponent ranked 6-10 = 2 points
5. Win against opponent ranked 6-10 = 3 points
6. Finish against opponent ranked 6-10 = 4 points

7. Fight against opponent ranked 1-5 = 3 points
8. Win against opponent ranked 1-5 = 4.5 points
9. Finish against opponent ranked 1-5 = 6 points

10. Challenging for a belt = 4 points
11. Winning the belt = 6 points
12. Finishing the champion = 8 points
13. Fighting up or down a weight class = Bonus of 0.5 points

Each fight that the particular combatant has against a top 15 opponent is documented and scored based on the opponent, weight class, and fight result. The points are then awarded for each contest. Once I have gone through each relevant fight, I add up all of the points. The fighters are given a final score, which are then ranked amongst the others. In theory, the fighter with the highest score would have the best resume in MMA. Of course we won't be analyzing every single fighter in history, and there are many subjective traits that will undoubtedly be discussed after each article is written. The rankings of each fighter at the time of each contest will be taken from Fight Matrix Historical Rankings. Here is a link:

https://www.fightmatrix.com/historical-mma-rankings/generated-historical-rankings/?Issue=66&Division=2