A Staggering Statistic about Age in MMA.

[HuskySamoan]

I just heard Luke Thomas claim that there's been 30 times in UFC history where a fighter age 35 or older at 170lbs or lower, so from Welterweight to Flyweight fought in a title bout and do you know what the win/loss record is for them apparently? 2 out of 30, that's right, they lost 28 out of 30 times. I think MMA fans don't understand what a fighters prime is or how significant age is. I hear so often "he's only 36" or that a 30 year old is "young" with "plenty of time", no guys, not really.

So here's a fun fact to check. I haven't done the leg work to confirm it but it sounds right, when I compiled the data of every champions age when they won the title and lost the title and created averages...The highest average for the age of a champion when losing the title of any division was Heavyweight and it was roughly 34 years old. The claim that "the heavier weight divisions age slower" I wholeheartedly agree with but I think people fail to mention another huge driving factor why that is, it's because those divisions are incredibly shallow compared to 170lbs and lower.

Credit to Alexander Volkara France of Twitter.

 

[Poatan Power]

Your opening sentence was very difficult for me to decipher. Not sure if it's me or you. So
@ 170 lbs and below
for fighters age 35 and older
in title fights

those fighters are 2-28?

 

[TIMELESS TRUTH]

Ron Van Clief today would eat Leon's soul!

 

[WoozyFailGuy]

Then there are freaks like Couture.

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

Father Time and Khabib are the only ones to retire undefeated...

 

[ExitLUPin]

Luke stole this from a guy on Twitter.

Apparently TWood is the only one with wins but 1 win was against a 39yo Maia and the other against Darren Till lol

 

[HuskySamoan]

Your opening sentence was very difficult for me to decipher. Not sure if it's me or you. So
@ 170 lbs and below
for fighters age 35 and older
in title fights

those fighters are 2-28?

That's what I heard, yes.

 

[Fioretti]

I have threads on the ages of each UFC champion, in each division, when they won and lost their title. As well as the average age of each current champion in the UFC and Bellator. Physical prime is 27-35.

 

[HuskySamoan]

Luke stole this from a guy on Twitter.

Apparently TWood is the only one with wins but 1 win was against a 39yo Maia and the other against Darren Till lol

Drop the guys name or twitter post so I can put it in the OP and give him some shine if you have it.

 

[Killer Kadoogan]

damn, so what you're saying is, it's too late for me to gallop. sad.

 

[ExitLUPin]

Then there are freaks like Couture.

He doesnt fit in the weight class retirements. Much more common for fighters to be relevant later in the heavier weights. Anderson at 35yo has a bunch of defenses but they cut it off at WW for some reason. Wasnt Randy on TRT also?

 

[OldBoy91]

I too watch Morning Kombat.

 

[Th3 Gr38 1]

Then there are freaks like Couture.

He fought at 205 and above.

 

[Fioretti]

https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/current-mma-champions-by-age.4150863/

The divisional threads are all linked in the OP.

 

[Danas_right]

Then there are freaks like Couture.

HW is different. speed doesn't matter as much

 

[ILove4MinutesHyuna]

Khabib beat the game. He got out at 32, which is 3 years earlier then the magic number, but remember he was fighting since he was kid, and had multiple knee surgeries. His millage and wear and tear was probably more of that of a 35 year old.

It sucks he had that knee injury after he beat Dos Anjos that basically set him back from fighting for a title for 3 years.

 

[Mmmmmmma1234]

Colby is over 35, no need to give him a title fight then.

 

[ExitLUPin]

Drop the guys name or twitter post so I can put it in the OP and give him some shine if you have it.

He breaks it down by division in the thread there too.

 

[KAZSoliloquy]

I have threads on the ages of each UFC champion, in each division, when they won and lost their title. As well as the average age of each current champion in the UFC and Bellator. Physical prime is 27-35.

i’m 29 and can confirm i am not in my physical prime lmao

 

[IloveTHIS]

Khabib beat the game. He got out at 32, which is 3 years earlier then the magic number, but remember he was fighting since he was kid, and had multiple knee surgeries. His millage and wear and tear was probably more of that of a 35 year old.

It sucks he had that knee injury after he beat Dos Anjos that basically set him back from fighting for a title for 3 years.

You could look at it that way. Or you could look at is as Khabib throwing away a GREAT chance at cementing himself as the one true undisputed GOAT by retiring too soon. He could have very likely dominated in another 5 or so defenses in 2 years and there would really be no argument against his ATG #1 GOAT