TJ Dillashaw Claims UFC Is Using Quillan Salkilld vs. Benoît Saint Denis to Prove Meta Rankings Are Better
TJ Dillashaw believes the UFC is using the matchup between Quillan Salkilld and Benoit Saint Denis to prove that Meta’s rankings are more accurate than the media rankings.
The UFC's ranking system has been criticized for years. Fans will remember how frustrated Dana White got over Jon Jones not being ranked number one pound for pound for so long. Rankings have always been voted on by the media, and in June 2026 the UFC partnered with Meta to launch the Meta UFC Rankings, an automated system built to remove human voting bias.
Now TJ Dillashaw has a theory about the Salkilld vs. Saint Denis booking. He claims the UFC made the fight just to prove the Meta rankings are better than the old system.
TJ Dillashaw Calls Out UFC’s Ranking Strategy Ahead of Salkilld vs. Saint Denis
Salkilld vs. BSD is officially set to headline UFC Fight Night Sydney on Sunday, 7 February 2027. The poster lists both men as sixth-ranked, but for different reasons. The Australian holds the sixth spot in the Meta rankings, while Saint Denis is sixth in the traditional media rankings.
Dillashaw thinks that is no accident. In his view, the UFC is betting on Salkilld to win, and the fight turns into Meta versus media. He believes the promotion wants to show that Meta's rankings are better so it can get rid of the media version.
Dillashaw stated, “I think they’re betting on Quillan to win this fight, and he’s ranked sixth in Meta. Meanwhile, the media has BSD ranked at number six. So it’s Meta versus media. I think this is a way for the UFC to show, Look, Meta rankings are better. Let’s get rid of media rankings. I think it’s clear as day what they’re doing. This wasn’t an accident. This wasn’t sloppiness. It was done on purpose, Mark. Let’s see what happens.”
Under the traditional media rankings, Saint Denis sits at number six and Salkilld at number seven. A win over Saint Denis would leave Salkilld seriously close to a title shot. He has finished his last four opponents in the first round, and he hasn't lost in more than 13 fights.
Alexander Volkanovski Backs Quillan Salkilld to Beat Benoit Saint Denis and Climb the UFC Rankings
Volkanovski reacted to the fight too, and he came down on Salkilld's side. He likes Saint Denis, he said, but he thinks Salkilld smokes, and he's happy for him. In his view, it's a big fight that puts Salkilld right in the picture, close to names like Gamrot. Saint Denis is already pretty high up the ladder, so a win over him would move Salkilld closer and closer to the top, in a lightweight division Volkanovski pointed out is stacked.
Getting there won't be simple, though, because Saint Denis has the tools to spoil it. He is 4-1 in his last five and fights with a relentless, finishing style. His most recent outing ended in a first-round submission loss to Paddy Pimblett, but it came after a strong run of wins. The Frenchman has played the spoiler against plenty of fighters before, and he knows how to do it.
