Belal Started Training at 23

[Hog-train]

Belal sucks.

 

[Benoitthegr8]

True but that's also 8-9 more years of wear on the body.

It turns out that the most likely culprit is the fact that these athletes have so much more mileage on their joints.

Mileage is much more pronounced in combat sports since it is ultra physical and the consequences more dire.

That's how someone like DC and Couture could do well at a late age. Even though they wrestled the body and concussive wear/ tear is not the same

Aside from genetics this is the biggest factor, add good training habits such as less frequently sparring.

 

[gracie_barra_samurai]

True but that's also 8-9 more years of wear on the body.

I didn't understand why NBA players get injured so much more than before while the sport is way softer
There were less injuries when players was far more physical and there was less medical advances

It turns out that the most likely culprit is the fact that these athletes have so much more mileage on their joints.

Mileage is much more pronounced in combat sports since it is ultra physical and the consequences more dire.

That's how someone like DC and Couture could do well at a late age. Even though they wrestled the body and concussive wear/ tear is not the same

I've seen an increase of parents putting their kids into full time MMA training these days. The wear and tear must be brutal because you're talking daily wrestling/grappling and boxing/thai sessions.

It's going to be interesting if they make it or the parents chasing the UFC dream through their kids have to settle for their kid being the best 12 year old once upon a time.

 

[arcadeperfect]

It’s mma, lots of fighters start training later in life compared to other sports where athletes start in childhood. Modern MMA as we know it is about as old as Belal.

The difference is that Belal didn't really have a base in anything before becoming an MMA fighter. The fact that he's come this far is extremely impressive. Especially in a competitive weight class like 170.

 

[surgeyou1]

He wrestled in high school so that doesn't make any sense

 

[Bend NvR Break]

It's rare for a current champ to start consistent combat sports training at that age. I don't even think that's possible in WMMA anymore.

Gane started in his late 20 became IC champ and turned Ngannou into a collegiate wrestler in order to beat him.

Volk played professional rugby and also didn't get into any MMA training until his mid 20s.

I'm missing a bunch of other guys too.

 

[Bend NvR Break]

The difference is that Belal didn't really have a base in anything before becoming an MMA fighter. The fact that he's come this far is extremely impressive. Especially in a competitive weight class like 170.

Huh?
Belal is primarily a wrestler in MMA.
He wrestled for multiple years in high school.
His base is literally wrestling and he started building it since he was a teenager.

 

[arcadeperfect]

Huh?
Belal is primarily a wrestler in MMA.
He wrestled for multiple years in high school.
His base is literally wrestling and he started building it since he was a teenager.

Yeah I know he wrestled in high school, but that's it. To my knowledge he didn't continue with it during college. When you compare that to other fighters who've had double the experience in other combat sports before learning MMA there's a big difference. The fact that a HS wrestler is dominating everyone is impressive.

 

[Ube]

The difference is that Belal didn't really have a base in anything before becoming an MMA fighter. The fact that he's come this far is extremely impressive. Especially in a competitive weight class like 170.

Oh, I thought he wrestled in highschool.

Nothing will ever be more impressive than Beth Correa, who started doing cardio kickboxing classes in her mid 20s then somehow fought Rousey for a title a couple years later lolll. (Even though that division sucked)

 

[TheBulge]

It's rare but there have been many examples of this happening. Ezekiel Ansah for example didn't play a single second of football until his sophomore or junior year of college. Christian Okoye didn't start until 23 years old. Jordan Devey didn't play at all in high school, then went on a Mormon mission, and after that started football in college. I'm sure there are many more examples.

There are also many examples of NFL guys that played in high school, then didn't play in college at all, then went to the NFL anyway.

Just curious, did the guys you mentioned have a longer than average prime in the sport of football?

 

[AndrewGolota48]

Just curious, did the guys you mentioned have a longer than average prime in the sport of football?

I'm not sure about all of them but interestingly Okoye and Ansah both had like 5 good years then had their careers derailed by injuries.....

Antonio Gates played high school football then college basketball only then became an NFL star and had a pretty long career. So maybe developing some durability and resistance to the particular sport in early age actually helps as long as you don't drive it too hard like Jordan Mein or something .