Is Mid 30s really that old in the MMA world?

[y.91]

Nowadays european football players can play at the highest level until 35-37 (Ronaldo, Modric, Ibrahimovic even 40s). It's all about proper, professional self care and regeneration. Most of the MMA fighters can't even afford that treatment.

A couple of years ago 31 or 32 was already almost retirement age in our european football. The players started to play football at the age of 6-8 and become professional around 17-20.

50-65 matches per season, everyday twice training session, injuries, wear and tear, pressure and so on. Football players are the most well rounded team sport athletes in the world. It takes a lot.

 

[moreorless87]

Nowadays european football players can play at the highest level until 35-37 (Ronaldo, Modric, Ibrahimovic even 40s). It's all about proper, professional self care and regeneration. Most of the MMA fighters can't even afford that treatment.

A couple of years ago 31 or 32 was already almost retirement age in our european football. The players started to play football at the age of 6-8 and become professional around 17-20.

50-65 matches per season, everyday twice training session, injuries, wear and tear, pressure and so on. Football players are the most well rounded team sport athletes in the world. It takes a lot.

A lot does depend on the style of play though and how prone they are to injury, someone like Ronaldo has never really been that prone to it which I think is likely a big part of his longevity.

MMA training does seem like something which is very prone to causing injuries as well, the way it switches between striking, grappling and sub fighting tends to mean you have a lot of situations were your in akward positions, were fighters may for example be in a striking stance and then suddenly have to be wrestling which makes it much more dangerous than simply wrestling.

A lot of the MMA guys who declined at young ages as well tended to be those who did a lot of that transitional fighting, Shogun, Cain, GSP and to some degree perhaps Jones as well.

 

[RemyR]

Yes

 

[Kohelet]

Nowadays european football players can play at the highest level until 35-37 (Ronaldo, Modric, Ibrahimovic even 40s). It's all about proper, professional self care and regeneration. Most of the MMA fighters can't even afford that treatment.

A couple of years ago 31 or 32 was already almost retirement age in our european football. The players started to play football at the age of 6-8 and become professional around 17-20.

50-65 matches per season, everyday twice training session, injuries, wear and tear, pressure and so on. Football players are the most well rounded team sport athletes in the world. It takes a lot.

soccer players can go to a lower teams
but fighters can find themselves by the age of 36 defending the title

 

[TheTickG]

I was watching an interview with DC, Chael, and Brett Okamoto and DC kept harping on how it will be a foolish choice for Jones to fight Aspinal or Pavlovich due to their age. Apparently, despite being in their early 30s, Pav and Aspinal are "young dogs" but Jones is old?

I did not get it.

Sounds like they are exaggerating and hyping things in this case.

Age matters, but DC won the HW belt (via eye poke) at 39. Randy Couture won it in his 40's.

Cejudo is about Jones' age and barely lost the title fight in a new weight class.

Jones is allegedly the HW Champ and for them to say Jones shouldn't properly defend his belt is either stupidity or intentionally antagonizing him.

 

[Koya]

depends on the division. at FLW totally. at HW you're young