WHO YOU FIGHT
Beating stronger competition carries more weight than beating weaker competition. A win total alone does not tell the whole story.
Independent rankings • Explained simply
ABOUT US
The Cage Index helps fans compare UFC fighters using their results—not a popularity vote. Our goal is to make the rankings easy to explore, discuss and understand.
WHAT IS CIR?
CIR stands for Cage Index Rating. It brings several parts of a fighter’s record together into one score. A higher score means a stronger standing under our model at that point in time.
Think of it as a report card for a fighter’s UFC results. Two fighters can have the same number of wins but different scores because who they fought, how they performed and when they fought all matter.
SCORE VS. RANK
The CIR score is the rating. The P4P rank is the fighter’s position when eligible fighters are sorted by that rating across weight classes. A score of 90 does not mean a 90% chance of winning, and a higher-ranked flyweight is not being predicted to beat a heavyweight.
WHAT HAPPENED
Wins, losses, the way a fight ends and performance details help the model evaluate the result—not just the name on the winner’s line.
HOW RECENTLY
Recent performances matter more than older ones. Form and activity help describe where a fighter stands now, rather than only what they achieved years ago.
WHY CAN A SCORE CHANGE WITHOUT A FIGHT?
Time passing can lower activity and gradually age championship achievements. Other fighters’ results can move a rank even when a score stays the same. Opponent strength is frozen at the time of each fight: later results do not rewrite the value of an earlier opponent.
A simple example: imagine two fighters each have three wins. One beat established, high-rated opponents recently; the other beat lower-rated opponents several years ago. CIR looks at those differences instead of treating both records as identical. This is an illustration, not a fixed points award.
WHO QUALIFIES?
To receive a published rank, a fighter needs at least three UFC fights and a UFC appearance within the previous 18 months. “Not qualified” means they do not meet that gate at the selected date—not that they lack talent.
HOW TO READ WEEKLY MOVEMENT
▲ means the fighter moved up in rank. ▼ means they moved down. The number is how many places they moved, not how many CIR points they gained or lost. A zero means no rank change; “N/A” means a verified comparison is unavailable.
HOW THE HISTORICAL CALCULATOR WORKS
Choose a fighter and an available snapshot to explore their CIR and ranking at that time. The historical view is designed to use results available by that date, not later achievements. The line chart connects the available snapshots; it does not represent a new calculation for every day between them.
HOW CIR v2.1 CALCULATES A SCORE
CIR combines two parts: 75% opponent-relative ability and 25% earned championship achievement. Ability starts at a neutral 50; championship achievement starts at zero. The resulting starting CIR is 37.5. Published rankings still require three UFC appearances.
Ability changes according to the result compared with the pre-fight rating gap. Beating a much lower-rated opponent adds less than beating a stronger opponent. Losing to a stronger opponent costs less than an upset loss. The finish or decision adjusts the size of that change. Wins raise ability, losses lower it, and draws or no-contests leave it unchanged at the time of the bout.
Championship credit is earned once for each official UFC title victory, with half credit for interim titles and diminishing additions as achievements accumulate. It is not awarded again on later ordinary wins. A loss cannot add championship credit or erase previously earned achievements. BMF titles, tournament titles, administrative promotions, draws, and no-contests earn no championship credit.
Both parts age gradually at the same continuous rate: about 3% over a year. There is no attendance bonus, and form and streaks do not award extra points for wins already counted. Opponent CIR is frozen before each fight; later results cannot rewrite its value.
The historical calculator shows the two score components. Its other report-card bars describe the record and are not additional scoring weights. Every historical snapshot and weekly comparison is recalculated under v2.1. Differences from v2.0 are model changes, not new fight results.
All 8,709 recorded losses passed the non-increase check, including debut losses and all per-fighter orderings of same-day bouts. The championship share is an explicit modeling choice: a fighter without title wins has no championship component, so their CIR remains below 75. This is an achievement-informed P4P rating, not a calibrated win probability or a claim that title opportunities are equally available.
WHAT CIR IS—AND ISN’T
CIR is a consistent way to compare recorded results. It is not an official UFC ranking, a guarantee of who wins next, or a complete measure of a fighter’s skill. Every model has assumptions and limitations, and reasonable fans can disagree with its conclusions.
The formula—not an AI opinion or a manual vote—determines the published order. The Cage Index is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by UFC.