"Mixed martial arts is a young man's game" - Dana White

Well, when you’re 50(+/-), guys in their 30s seem young to you.
 
p4pgoat said:
Quite the straw man, you're changing the argument. You said 36 isn't old. I am saying compared to other major sports it definitely is, as the average age of those athletes are well below 36.

You do understand the concept of averages right?
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None of the sports you listed are major sports, globally speaking.
 
p4pgoat said:
But is it really?

Flyweight: Henry Cejudo (31 years old); Demetrious Johnson (32 years old)
Bantamweight: TJ Dillashaw (32 years old); Dominick Cruz (33 years old)
Featherweight: Max Holloway (26 years old); Brian Ortega (27 years old)
Lightweight: Khabib Nurmagomedov (29 years old); Conor McGregor (30 years old); Tony Ferguson (34 years old)
Welterweight: Tyron Woodley (36 years old); Colby Covington (30 years old)
Middleweight: Robert Whittaker (27 years old); Yoel Romero (41 years old)
Light Heavyweight: Daniel Cormier (39 years old); Alexander Gustafsson (31 years old)
Heavyweight: Daniel Cormier (39 years old); Stipe Miocic (36 years old)

Outside of a few fighters, the majority of UFC Champions or #1 contenders are over 30 with the average age being 33. I think Dana might be wrong again.
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With all of that being said, which under-30 contender are you most excited about?

- Darren Till (25 years old)
- Kevin Lee (25 years old)
- Paulo Costa (27 years old)
- Zabit Magomedsharipov (27 years old)
- Curtis Blaydes (27 years old)
- Volkan Oezdemir (28 years old)
- Renato Moicano (29 years old)
- Israel Adesanya (29 years old)

I think it's Darren Till.
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Sure, the guy is probably a natural Middleweight but I think he matches up well against Whittaker. The guy already has elite striking. His takedown defense is still relatively unknown but at 25, he has YEARS to work on his wrestling.

My second choice would be Zabit Magomedsharipov. So far he looks as good as advertised but I am very curious to see how he fares against top-level competition.

The under-30 contender that I am least high on is Kevin Lee. He's in a stacked division (honestly he'll eventually be forced to move up to Welterweight) and after seeing this, I am not sure he has the chin to stand and trade with the top of that division.
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What do you think Sherdog?
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You must be really young to think 30 is old.
 
What does he consider young?

How old was Randy when he beat Sylvia?
 
Yorkist said:
You must be really young to think 30 is old.
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I'm 29, my man. When did I say 30 is old? I just don't agree that fighting is a "young man's game".

Basketball -- where you see players drafted at 19-20 years old or Football -- where you see players drafted at 21-22 years old (and out of the NFL on average by 27-28 years old) is what I'd consider a young man's game.
 
The NFL is a young mans sport. Guys are only on top for like 2 years nowadays before they decline
 
Every sport is a "young man's game." Once you reach that mid/late 30's point, you start to decline and sometimes it happens pretty rapidly. There's exceptions of course, and a lot of it depends on the total amount of wear and tear your body has taken over the years, but athletic ventures are generally for people ages 18 to 35.
 
p4pgoat said:
I'm 29, my man. When did I say 30 is old? I just don't agree that fighting is a "young man's game".

Basketball -- where you see players drafted at 19-20 years old or Football -- where you see players drafted at 21-22 years old (and out of the NFL on average by 27-28 years old) is what I'd consider a young man's game.
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Except for quarterbacks for whatever reason. Seems like you need that veteran QB nowadays... top 9 QBs in passing yards last year were all 29 or older, Brady was first at age 41 (!)
 
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There a balance of youth and acquiring skill.
 
BBMN said:
He's right. There are always exceptions to the rule, but by in large, most fighters fall off pretty fast after 35.

The one division that the rule doesn't apply to for whatever reason, is Heavyweight. There's always been some older guys there that keep chugging along like WWII era tanks. They take a pounding and come back for more. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have the guys that rely on speed, and when they lose that speed, they fall apart pretty fast. For as amazing as TJ Dillahaw looks today, wait and see where he's at in three years. Hopefully he doesn't turn into BJ Penn... But it wouldn't surprise me.

Somehow there are few outliers here too... I know Edgar is a freak. But for the most part, guys drop off faster in the smaller classes.
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I imagine HW is less of an issue as speed is less of a determining factor
 
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