Is 40 too old to start training and competing in MMA?

Yes its too old unless you're a freak of nature like Yoel + roided to the gills like Yoel, but even then youre about 20 years too late to start your training. At best you might crush a few regional cans and call it a day.
 
Sherwolf said:
Serious question guys. I've been pretty active in sports since I was very young and I currently get to the gym doing basic weight training a few times a week. My cardio isn't that great mainly cause I don't like running on the hamster-mill, but I'm sure I can built it up with some hard work.

I'm about 5-11 and 180lbs of fast twitch fiber muscle. I think I have good bio-mechanics in general and I can throw fundamental punches and kicks.

If I really wanted to CM Punk it and go for it (and I am way more athletic then that fool), is it realistic that I can compete as an amateur or pro at some point? What's a realistic time to train and get into the cage? I don't have any belt rating or prior martial arts experience. My only advantages are my athleticism and strength. Since I'm 180lb with no diet, I would probably fight at 170lb.

I'm wondering if anyone has gone on this journey post 40 and if you can share your experience?
Click to expand...
You are too old to be competitive on any meaningful level. I was not a lot younger than you when I started BJJ with some MMA. 15 years ago, MMA had not blown up yet. I could hang with younger guys but injuries are more frequent and take a long time to heal. I quit after several shoulder surgeries. I miss training but very few can stay healthy. I was a lifter originally and none of my old group are in good shape. One buddy still does squat competitions at 56 and still squats almost 700 lbs ( he was nearly 900 in his prime and held state record for many years.)
I’d say do BJJ and compete in masters division if you have a competition bug Getting hit sucks. You will get lit up by younger, faster, better trained guys. I suppose I looked a little foolish as a 40 year old professional with frequent cuts and bruises . Grappling is safer and the age won’t be as big a disadvantage.
Michael Jordan was missing dunks at 40. Ali got beat by stinks at 36 or so.
 
You should see the trash they put in the regional ammy and crappy pro shows.

Of course you could start a “journey” in MMA. Fucking hit up the promoters that throw shows in indian res’s in Oklahoma, you can fight every month.....
 
Move up to LHW of HW and i am sure you can get into the ufc and get a title shit within 3 fights. Lol

But good on you for staying active n shit
 
Try training MMA, staying fit, competing at an amateur level in some can league, and then when your body turns 45 I think you'll have a renewed sense of clarity as to the realistic nature of your question. Short answer: have fun with it but don't quit your day job.
 
Get to a gym. You will find the training there to be brutaly honest with you.. Take it from there.

You are a adult man in a free world. Do what you like.

At 39 years old. Getting 40 next january. I feel great. Speed have gone down a bit since my 20s. But that have been replaced with me getting stronger and more technical sound.

It can be done. But if you never done any fight training before.. Its gonna be hard to get muscle memory to react the right way.
 
Don't listen to internet :eek::eek::eek:s, just go do your thing. Conor was fapping in his parent's attic 5 years ago and look where he at. Most these haters have to clean the cheetos off their fingers on a hourly basis.
 
Sherwolf said:
Serious question guys. I've been pretty active in sports since I was very young and I currently get to the gym doing basic weight training a few times a week. My cardio isn't that great mainly cause I don't like running on the hamster-mill, but I'm sure I can built it up with some hard work.

I'm about 5-11 and 180lbs of fast twitch fiber muscle. I think I have good bio-mechanics in general and I can throw fundamental punches and kicks.

If I really wanted to CM Punk it and go for it (and I am way more athletic then that fool), is it realistic that I can compete as an amateur or pro at some point? What's a realistic time to train and get into the cage? I don't have any belt rating or prior martial arts experience. My only advantages are my athleticism and strength. Since I'm 180lb with no diet, I would probably fight at 170lb.

I'm wondering if anyone has gone on this journey post 40 and if you can share your experience?
Click to expand...
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as a leisure activity MAYBE not...though if you are old and run a business/ have a decent job good luck closing dat dere deal with a black eye.

Becoming a pro will not happen though.
 
I am 40(6-5, 230 and out of shape, normal sherdog) and I’m worried my 14 yr old(6-2,140) will kick my ass soon. Puberty strength is greater than old man strength. Don’t fight young bucks unless you are ready to retire
 
I'd pick you to KO CM Punk so I guess there's that
 
If you got power in your hands, maybe, but probably not
 
About to turn 40 and never been in better shape and more technical. You can do it but like many have said, on a lower level and you don’t have much time left.

Not having trained any martial art before really will hinder you though.
 
Sherwolf said:
Serious question guys. I've been pretty active in sports since I was very young and I currently get to the gym doing basic weight training a few times a week. My cardio isn't that great mainly cause I don't like running on the hamster-mill, but I'm sure I can built it up with some hard work.

I'm about 5-11 and 180lbs of fast twitch fiber muscle. I think I have good bio-mechanics in general and I can throw fundamental punches and kicks.

If I really wanted to CM Punk it and go for it (and I am way more athletic then that fool), is it realistic that I can compete as an amateur or pro at some point? What's a realistic time to train and get into the cage? I don't have any belt rating or prior martial arts experience. My only advantages are my athleticism and strength. Since I'm 180lb with no diet, I would probably fight at 170lb.

I'm wondering if anyone has gone on this journey post 40 and if you can share your experience?
Click to expand...

You can hit the amateur circuit. You could fight “pro” at Wild Bills for like $500 if you put a few good years in of training and have some talent. High level pro though? No it’s too late. Number one, shit like your knees and shoulders will start tearing and you’ll have major injury problems. UFC fighters only in their late 20’s and early thirties start dealing with those problems already. And you think you’d be fighting at 170? Haha. Nope, you’re a 155er in today’s pro mma game. And it becomes very difficult cutting that type of weight at 45 years old, which is how old you’d be when you actually start getting good, if you’re training full time. And you might feel good at 40 but 45 is whole different ball game. You’d need more recovery time between session than the younger guys, which means less time to learn. And at 40 you prob have full time job and fam and can’t even train full time. A lot of these guys like Stipe who have a full time job and train part time already had years of wrestling and boxing experience.

A bigger question is why would you really want to get into today’s pro mma? Only the very few top level guys make good money. The rest sometimes spend more on their training camps and bills than they actually make fighting. And the UFC treats most of their fighters like shit. Do you really want to work for Dana White who wants to control your whole career and if you disagree with something he starts snubbing your opportunities and publicly throws you under the bus? Do you really want all these trolls talking shit to you on social media about how boring your fight was or how you ducked another fighter, or how you’re probably on steroids? Do you want to go to the hospital from serious complications during a bad weight cut? Have you ever heard of CTE?
 
In the interest of not being a total piece of shit, no it's not too late for you, but you need to be realistic with your goals. You can compete in BJJ until youre literally a senior citizen if your body holds up. You can also compete in amateur MMA and pankration and the like. When I lived in Japan a friend of mine was quite active in quasi professional MMA in his late 30s and early 40s. Dude also got himself goddamn shredded at about 40. Granted he had years of BJJ under his belt already, but he would still roll out to Paraestra HQ like a boss and train with the pros.

If its a sincere goal of yours to have a professional fight, I'm sure you could pick something up on the regional circuit near where you live.

BTW in the future if you want sincere advice, post these kinds of things in the training sub forum. The miserable basement dwellers on this board love nothing more than to shit on someone's aspirations.
 
Btw Fuck all these milenials talking shit about their elders. Show some respect, it really comes off as a ignorant and shows you probably had bad parenting.
 
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