Overview
- Rizvan Kuniev publicly criticized the Meta UFC Rankings for listing Alex Pereira at No. 3 in the heavyweight division despite Pereira’s 0-1 UFC heavyweight record and TKO loss to Ciryl Gane.
- Kuniev is fighting Alexander Volkov at UFC 333 this Saturday and said a win should lead to a fight with Pereira rather than Sergei Pavlovich.
- The Meta list that places Pereira at No. 3 uses algorithmic inputs and differs from the UFC media rankings, which do not currently list Pereira at heavyweight.
- Kuniev says the algorithm is overvaluing Pereira’s past two‑division championships instead of recent heavyweight results, a claim that questions how rankings shape immediate matchmaking and fighter trajectories.
- Tensions between fighters are also playing into the story, with Kuniev upset that Volkov referenced his past PFL doping suspension and the UFC already scheduling Pereira vs. Pavlovich for UFC 335.