23 yr. old wants to begin MMA

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creedseebas

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Ok, so i'm 23 and i have recently started training in MMA. I know there are guys out there who at younger ages than mine are already wrld champs. Does this mean that there is no hope for me to ever make it to the big time because i am starting too late in the game, or are there stories of great fighters who started late like myself?

Also, do any of you have any personal opinions about this, because seriously, this is the on ething that keeps me up sometimes, wondering if i am even doing the right thing, trying to pick this all up at 23. Is it too late in my life to become a world class fighter by the time i'm 30?

i weigh 150 lbs, 16% body fat, work out with more determination and intensity than anyone i know, and train extremely hard. I eat and supplement well, and i rest fairly good. Will my age be a factor that will keep me from ever being in PRIDE or UFC?
 
Dude..your 23..I started MT at 19..im 25 now and just got into BJJ 2 years ago..your young and in descent shape..your good to go
 
Just wondering have you trained any thing in the past? Wrestling, boxing, any thing of that sort? Either way your age wont be a huge factor you still got plenty of time but world class by 30 with no previous experience in any combat sport might be pretty hard.
 
It all depends on the individual. Personally, I'm turning 22 next month and started training only a few months ago. I had previous boxing experience during my high school years but nothing extraordinary. IMO, I think I'm developing faster than average. In fact, my trainers said I can compete now no problem (novice/beginner level tourneys, but still). Again, it all depends on your motivation and intensity. Good luck.
 
it all depends on you... if you train as hard as you say... and it depends on the quality of your instructors.. If you train hard with people who dont really know what they are doing.. then you wont learn much.. but if your instructor is very experienced they your skills will improve very fast.. so keep that in mind when you are training..
 
I'm 20, and I'm wondering the same thing. I look at GSP who's 24 and he's a fricking contender for a UFC belt. I think to myself, can I be at GSP's level in four years?

I'm in a serious dilemma. I love MMA, it's the only thing that I find myself fantasing about when I think about my future. Going to college, getting a degree, getting a job at some company, I have no passion for that shit. But I'm afraid that unless I have some serious talent, I might turn out to be another no name C level fighter no matter how hard I try. No guts no glory I guess.
 
dude im 20, ive only been training for 9 months.. and i know alot of fighters at my gym who only training for a few years and some of them are fighting and winning.. it all depends on you.. and how dedicated you are in your training..
 
Rich Franklin had a pretty late start as well. I don't think he wrestled in high school and I know he didn't wrestle for the NCAA in college.
 
wel i have had no experience in the past. This is what i am doing now. I have been training for 3 months now in BJJ with a great instructor who was an MMA fighter and i forget his pro record but it was pretty good. I take Vee-Jits as well twice a week. On Saturdays i train with an amateur kickboxer an di'm learnng a great deal from him. On sundays, he an di are going to be training with a former NYC kickboxing Champ who is ridiculously good. The dude is just quick and lighting feet. He's awesome. Everyone of my instructors say that i am learning very fast and that i have a great heart.

As i said before, i don't know anyone that personally that trains as hard as i do. Apart from my training in classes, i train on my own and practice all that i have learned. I also do weight lifting and alternate it between weight gaining, endurance training, plyometrics, and explosiveness building on diff da.ys....

As i said, i want to be real good at what i do. Keeping al this in mind.... and thanks to the comment about Rich Franklin having a late start, i like to think that i will do good and reach a world class level.... but i wanna be realistic about it too....

that's why i posted this....
 
so far, my conditioning seems to be my best factor too.... i will push myself beyond the point that most others will whether in or out of class, with or without a workout partner...
 
it sounds like your doing everything right... keep on this track then start lookin for some amatuer mma fights and get started hope to hear more from you in the future..
 
THis is semi-off subject, but at my local school there was a guy in the BJJ program who is in his early 20's with NO prior experience. He has only trained in BJJ for 8-9 months and entered his 2nd tourney a couple of months ago. He entered the event that put you against people with simular experience, as well as the open class. He did not lose a match that day. His last match was against a BJJ instructor who was highly ranked and he caught him in a heel lock and won. Not everyone will learn at the rate he does, but its possible. What does this mean to you? As long as you work at it, age does not matter. Its never too late to learn and do well. If you were 34 and just starting wanting to compete at pro level, I would just wish you luck, but at 23 you are fine. If you have a good work ethic, good teachers, and believe you can do it, you will be able to compete at the pro level before you are 30 IMO.
 
creedseebas said:
Ok, so i'm 23 and i have recently started training in MMA. I know there are guys out there who at younger ages than mine are already wrld champs. Does this mean that there is no hope for me to ever make it to the big time because i am starting too late in the game, or are there stories of great fighters who started late like myself?

Also, do any of you have any personal opinions about this, because seriously, this is the on ething that keeps me up sometimes, wondering if i am even doing the right thing, trying to pick this all up at 23. Is it too late in my life to become a world class fighter by the time i'm 30?

i weigh 150 lbs, 16% body fat, work out with more determination and intensity than anyone i know, and train extremely hard. I eat and supplement well, and i rest fairly good. Will my age be a factor that will keep me from ever being in PRIDE or UFC?
Click to expand...

I would say it depends on the person. NO training experience(wrestling, judo, kickboxing,boxing, full-contact karate, etc) though...that is tough. I think you are at a disadvantage to somebody who has a background.
Instead of wondering about it all the time, train hard and turn pro, then you find out.
My other concern is 150 pounds at 16% bodyfat at 23. You are really skinny.
If I had to be blunt, 150 pounds, no training background and 23, you will have a tough time.
 
jhunter said:
THis is semi-off subject, but at my local school there was a guy in the BJJ program who is in his early 20's with NO prior experience. He has only trained in BJJ for 8-9 months and entered his 2nd tourney a couple of months ago. He entered the event that put you against people with simular experience, as well as the open class. He did not lose a match that day. His last match was against a BJJ instructor who was highly ranked and he caught him in a heel lock and won. Not everyone will learn at the rate he does, but its possible. What does this mean to you? As long as you work at it, age does not matter. Its never too late to learn and do well. If you were 34 and just starting wanting to compete at pro level, I would just wish you luck, but at 23 you are fine. If you have a good work ethic, good teachers, and believe you can do it, you will be able to compete at the pro level before you are 30 IMO.
Click to expand...

I agree with this. BUt compete at a pro level and being a worldclass fighter in the UFC or Pride are two very different things.
Mnay people do compete at the pro level(alot of shows it seems) who are not really good. I think making it to Shooto/Deep level type of show and staying on it would validate your talent.
 
good luck bro, im 17 and i feel im starting late(although i got mma experience from a few years ago)..its all in the mind and heart, dont let age mean anything its just a number. Bas rutten is in better shape then most 20 year olds out there and he was like 42..he started out later also
 
of course we all have disadvantages. Nobody here is genetically perfect. Many of us would settle for average genes.
 
Glad to know I'm not the only one who feels this way. Once I turned 21 this year, I just kept thinking about whether or not I could make it with all these world champions already at such young ages. But for me I want to go into Thai boxing and make it to K-1 MAX one day (a guy can dream right?). I feel like for MMA, starting out in ur mid-20s isn't that bad. For Thai boxing and aspirations to be a world champion while making it to Japan one day, I feel like I'm pretty damn late to the game. And I still have one more year of college to finish......
 
creedseebas said:
Ok, so i'm 23 and i have recently started training in MMA. I know there are guys out there who at younger ages than mine are already wrld champs. Does this mean that there is no hope for me to ever make it to the big time because i am starting too late in the game, or are there stories of great fighters who started late like myself?

Also, do any of you have any personal opinions about this, because seriously, this is the on ething that keeps me up sometimes, wondering if i am even doing the right thing, trying to pick this all up at 23. Is it too late in my life to become a world class fighter by the time i'm 30?

i weigh 150 lbs, 16% body fat, work out with more determination and intensity than anyone i know, and train extremely hard. I eat and supplement well, and i rest fairly good. Will my age be a factor that will keep me from ever being in PRIDE or UFC?
Click to expand...
Your age shouldn't be a factor. Look at Randy Couture. He didn't start his MMA training till he was in his 30s and look what he accomplished.
 
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