Chapter 314 - 285: Old Rival, The Undefeated Legend
UFC rankings are determined by a dozen professional media outlets, which form a voting panel to rate fighters. Each rank comes with a score, and the final rankings are then calculated to produce a list.
In theory, after Wu Li defeated Dan Hu, who was the sixth in the lightweight ranks, and did so with ease, he should be at least in sixth place, taking Dan Hu’s spot, or even higher. Therefore, many people predicted that Wu Li might break into the top five.
But the latest rankings surprised many: Wu Li placed seventh, with Dan Hu, whom he had defeated, still at sixth. Charles, who had previously held seventh place, was pushed down to eighth.
"This ranking feels like Dana White is deliberately knocking you down," Chen Gang said to Wu Li.
Wu Li nodded. He had just refused Dana White, and right after that, his ranking was released, making him feel there was a deliberate intention.
Traditionally, only fighters in the top five of UFC’s weight classes qualify to challenge for a championship. This meant that if Wu Li’s ranking had made it into the top five, it would have been possible for his next match to be a title fight, a rapid pace that aligned with Wu Li’s expectations.
"He probably wants to use this as a way to tell me that if I don’t cooperate with him, it’s impossible for me to rise to the top of the UFC within a year or two," Wu Li said.
Chen Gang was somewhat worried, "After all, he’s the one arranging the fights. If he doesn’t set up some strong opponents for you, it will be hard for your ranking to climb."
Wu Li: "Let’s take it one step at a time."
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Chen Gang’s concerns soon became reality, as that afternoon, news about Wu Li’s next opponent surfaced on the official UFC website and on ESPN: