EA Sports UFC 6 ratings spark backlash

EA Sports UFC 6 is not even out yet, and the ratings debate is already loud.

EA has released details on the five-star fighters and the new rating system for UFC 6, and fans immediately started arguing over the choices. The biggest complaints are about the star-based system, the way fighters are judged by their best version, and some strange-looking numbers around Conor McGregor, Ilia Topuria, Alex Pereira and Max Holloway.

The game launches June 19 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with Ultimate Edition early access starting June 12. Alex Pereira and Max Holloway are on the cover, but the ratings talk has now become its own fight before release week.

EA says UFC 6 is using a different approach. Fighters are not being judged only by current rankings or recent form. The game also looks at peak versions, style identity, Flow State, perks, movement and specific animations. That sounds good on paper, but fans are already picking apart the details.

McGregor and Topuria caused the loudest reaction

The biggest flashpoint is McGregor over Topuria in key striking numbers.

McGregor has 100 punch power, 100 punch speed and 100 accuracy in the revealed elite striker ratings. Topuria has 99 punch power, 97 punch speed and 96 accuracy. That was always going to get a reaction.

McGregor’s prime was special. Nobody serious can erase what he did at featherweight and lightweight. The left hand, the timing, the counters, the distance traps — that version of McGregor belongs in any UFC game conversation.

But Topuria is the active champion, unbeaten, fresh off major wins and one of the sharpest boxers in the sport right now. For many fans, seeing him slightly behind McGregor in those numbers feels hard to accept in 2026.

• EA Sports UFC 6 launches on June 19.
• Ultimate Edition early access begins on June 12.
• Alex Pereira and Max Holloway are the cover athletes.
• EA is using five-star ratings instead of a simple old numerical feel.
• Fighters are balanced around peak ability, style identity and Flow State.
• Fans are arguing over McGregor, Topuria, Pereira, Holloway and the new rating logic.

The new system changes how ratings work

UFC 6 is not just changing numbers. EA is changing what the numbers are supposed to mean.

The new system connects ratings with Flow State, fighter-specific movement, perks, tendencies and style-based play. A pressure boxer, a counter striker, a chain wrestler and a submission specialist are supposed to feel different inside the Octagon.

EA has also said fighters are being balanced around the best version of their careers. Tony Ferguson’s long winning streak was used as one example of that idea. That helps explain why some older or less active names can still appear strong in the game.

That explanation will not satisfy everyone. MMA fans usually argue from what they saw most recently. If a fighter has been inactive, lost badly, or looks far from his best, fans do not always want a video game rating built around a past version.

Pereira and Holloway fit the new game style

Pereira and Holloway being central to UFC 6 makes sense because both fighters have clear identities.

Pereira is built around danger. His left hook, leg kicks and calm pressure are easy to translate into a game. If UFC 6 really improves contact, damage and fighter feel, Pereira should be one of the first fighters players test.

Holloway is different. His style is volume, rhythm and long combinations. The new Flow State system sounds almost made for a fighter like him. He builds momentum through output, speed and clean punching over time.

That is where UFC 6 has to prove itself. Fans do not only want higher numbers. They want fighters to feel like themselves. Pereira should not feel like Holloway with more power. Holloway should not feel like a slower copy of another striker. Topuria should feel sharp, compact and dangerous in the pocket. McGregor should feel like a timing-based counter striker, not just a famous name with inflated stats.

UFC 6 has attention before launch

The backlash is not all bad for EA.

Fans arguing over ratings means people are watching the game closely. McGregor, Topuria, Pereira and Holloway are exactly the kind of names that bring UFC fans into the conversation, even if they do not usually follow every sports game update.

The real test comes when players get the game in their hands. If the striking feels cleaner, if contact looks better, if fighters move differently and if Flow State gives each athlete real identity, the ratings debate may calm down. If the game feels too similar to UFC 5, the complaints will get louder.

Right now, UFC 6 has the one thing a sports game wants before release: noise. The question is whether that noise turns into trust once the fights actually start on screen.