Only one current UFC champ in his 20s

[HoiceNJuicy]

He might need facial reconstruction surgery by the time he reaches his 30s. Tough MFer!

 

[Mask Of Winters]

The generational loss of testosterone that's been happening for at least 80 years now is showing up big-time.

 

[LEWIS540]

The generational loss of testosterone that's been happening for at least 80 years now is showing up big-time.

More like the generational gain of testosterone.......

 

[volcom5]

Been saying for a long time now that fighters are still good into their 30’s. The PrideFC fan girls were the ones who set the precedent of a fighters prime and that was before thirty because they couldn’t cope with their favorites losing. We’re seeing it in real time fighters can still be competitive at later stages of their careers.

 

[Poirierfan]

More like the generational gain of testosterone.......

In Jon's case, yes.

Downside, he probably has pea size nutts now. Upside, his cock will look ginormous. It's a yin yang thing.

 

[Guy LeDouche]

I mean you start to hit your stride physically and mentally in your early 30s before falling off shortly after.

It’s not odd at all. I think what this shows is the lack of young talent being injected into the sport at the moment. Interest in MMA is waning aross the board

 

[LEWIS540]

Been saying for a long time now that fighters are still good into their 30’s. The PrideFC fan girls were the ones who set the precedent of a fighters prime and that was before thirty because they couldn’t cope with their favorites losing. We’re seeing it in real time fighters can still be competitive at later stages of their careers.

Yeah, it was unheard of have top level fighters in their 30s up until this very moment.

 

[volcom5]

Yeah, it was unheard of have top level fighters in their 30s up until this very moment.

It wasn’t unheard of, it was just people kept running with a fighter being out of their prime and cant be competitive after a loss in their 30’s. A lot of people cast fighters aside easily after a loss even when they look great prior to it. according to folks on here Holloway was out his prime and should retire after his loss to Volk the 2nd time, a fight he arguably won.

 

[LEWIS540]

It wasn’t unheard of, it was just people kept running with a fighter being out of their prime and cant be competitive after a loss in their 30’s. A lot of people cast fighters aside easily after a loss even when they look great prior to it. according to folks on here Holloway was out his prime and should retire after his loss to Volk the 2nd time, a fight he arguably won.

It's almost always about the miles on the clock not the age of the car.

Acting like it's unusual to have so many champions in their 30s is just odd, either way.

 

[TITS]

 

[ExitLUPin]

Same reason why a lot of these Gen Z girls are fucking millennial men. They're the last gen of real high T men that grew up outside and aren't addicted to shit like video games, weed, porn, anime, brainrot from social media

Sean did a "social media, gaming and weed" detox to prepare for this rematch LMAO. Imagine being a grown man having to "detox" some shit like social media or playing vidya hahahah and Merab just rekt him even worse and finished him this time jajajajajajaja

 

[volcom5]

It's almost always about the miles on the clock not the age of the car.

Acting like it's unusual to have so many champions in their 30s is just odd, either way.

Sure, I agree with your mileage. But still shouldn’t a fighter like Makhachev with 28 bouts into his MMA Career, and hundreds of Sambo, Judo matches be washed? 15yrs ago fighters who were 15bouts into their career were considered wash once they loss. Pereira captured gold and he should’ve been considered washed before entering the UFC with the amount KB bouts he’s had. There’s a lot of variables involved, imo.

 

[Mask Of Winters]

More like the generational gain of testosterone.......

 

[LEWIS540]

Sure, I agree with your mileage. But still shouldn’t a fighter like Makhachev with 28 bouts into his MMA Career, and hundreds of Sambo, Judo matches be washed? 15yrs ago fighters who were 15bouts into their career were considered wash once they loss. Pereira captured gold and he should’ve been considered washed before entering the UFC with the amount KB bouts he’s had. There’s a lot of variables involved, imo.

It's obviously not an exact science. Everyone is different. Lot of variables as you say.

Some guys are so good they can regress and still be competitive.

Some times a fighter receives more damage in one round than others do in 10 fights.

Etc

 

[Mask Of Winters]

Same reason why a lot of these Gen Z girls are fucking millennial men. They're the last gen of real high T men that grew up outside and aren't addicted to shit like video games, weed, porn, anime, brainrot from social media

Sean did a "social media, gaming and weed" detox to prepare for this rematch LMAO. Imagine being a grown man having to "detox" some shit like social media or playing vidya hahahah and Merab just rekt him even worse and finished him this time jajajajajajaja

Us GenXers look like John Fucking Wayne compared to millennials. WE grew up outside. They grew up being hovered over by "helicopter parents" who made them wear helmets when riding a bike. Millennials also pretty much invented simpng. Before that there were individual simps here and there, but it hadn't become the defining characteristic of an entire male generation yet.

 

[Fergelmince]

Over the past few years how many fighters even got a title shot in their 20's? These days the UFC makes them work a lot longer and harder to get a shot at the belt.

 

[Mask Of Winters]

Over the past few years how many fighters even got a title shot in their 20's? These days the UFC makes them work a lot longer and harder to get a shot at the belt.

I hadn't even thought about that but yeah, good point Not sure we'll ever see a case of a fighter getting a title shot before their 24th birthday like Jones did again.

 

[Takes Two To Tango]

You reach your prime around 32 in this sport generally speaking. So it make sense.

 

[joy2day]

You reach your prime around 32 in this sport generally speaking. So it make sense.

There are some sports where this is true (power lifting, ultra-marathon, golf, shooting), but it mostly isn't. Sports or positions in sports where there is a higher and more varied degree of physicality will peak younger, running backs and wide receivers will peak in their 20s; while QBs peak a bit later because it is more of an IQ position, they still peak mostly before 32. There are exceptions, but not generally. Some sports peak WAY before 32, like sprinters.

IMO, the reason that the peak is later in MMA is because there are just so many different skills to learn. It's like learning multiple sports in one, and someone would often still have an advantage over pure physicality if they had more well-rounded skills. That's the reason, for example, that Werdum and Olives peaked so late- they got much more well-rounded with time.

• Track & Field: Elite track & field athletes reach their median peak around age 27, but this varies by event—sprinters tend to peak earlier (≈24 years) while throwers and jumpers peak closer to 27–28 years.
• American Football (NFL): Skill‐position players peak in their mid‐20s. Running backs typically see their best production between ages 22–27 before a sharp drop at 28+, wide receivers often hit their stride in their fifth NFL season (≈25–26 years) and remain productive through age 29–30, and mobile quarterbacks’ rushing upside plateaus around 27–29 but overall passing efficiency often peaks slightly later.
• Basketball (NBA): NBA players generally hit their prime between ages 27–31, with physical decline becoming noticeable after 32, though some skill positions (e.g., point guards) may peak a bit earlier, around 24–27 years.

Track & Field​

Median Peak Age​

A large‐scale analysis of Olympic athletes across all sports found the median peak age is 27 years for track & field competitors, with only a 44 % chance of peaking later than that age verywellhealth.com.

Event-Specific Variations​

• Sprinters and other explosive events tend to peak earlier, around 24 years, due to reliance on fast‐twitch muscle fibers researchgate.net.
• Jumpers average a peak age of 27.3 years, while throwers also cluster around 27–28 years researchgate.net.

Long-Term Trends​

A PubMed study of world‐ranked top-100 athletes (2002–2016) across disciplines showed that peak ages have crept upward slightly over time, likely reflecting advances in training, nutrition, and recovery pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

American Football (NFL)​

Running Backs​

• Peak seasons occur in Years 2–6 of an NFL career, which for typical draftees corresponds to ages 22–27.
• From age 28 to 29, running backs see a 37 % decline in PPR fantasy points, and only 8.4 % of RB touches come from players 29+, versus 13.7 % a decade earlier espn.com.

Wide Receivers​

• Second‐year (sophomore) boosts average a 43 % increase in PPR points over Year 1, reflecting adaptation to the pro game.
• Fifth-season receivers (around 25–26 years old) average their highest PPR output, with a 24.5 % jump over Year 4 espn.com.
• Many elite WRs remain productive through age 29–30 before a gradual decline.

Quarterbacks​

• Rushing production for mobile QBs plateaus between ages 27–29, with a 25.7 % drop in rushing fantasy points from age 26 to 27 espn.com.
• Pass-efficiency and decision-making often continue to improve into the early 30s, as mental skills and film study compensate for slight athletic declines.

DL, OL, and LB​

• Offensive Linemen average 26.1 years, generally peak around 28 years, and most begin declining by 32 years. A few elite outliers can sustain high play into their mid-30s.
• Defensive Linemen average 27.0 years, often peak between 27–29 years, then see a sharper drop-off after 30 years.
• Linebackers average 26.3 years, typically hit their prime in their mid-20s (24–28), but veteran stars can remain effective into their mid-30s.

Basketball (NBA)​

Empirical Peak Range​

An empirical analysis of NBA performance metrics (PER, BPM, win shares) found the prime performing age to be 27–31 years, with noticeable decline after 32 digitalcommons.bryant.edu.

Converging Findings​

• A Dartmouth analytics overview similarly places peak NBA performance around 27–28 years, combining physical prowess with veteran experience sites.dartmouth.edu.
• Other research suggests that, on average, players reach their maximal efficiency in the 24–27 year window, with a relatively stable “peak plateau” lasting several seasons before decline research-archive.org.

Take-Home: Across these sports, the mid- to late-20s represent the convergence of physiological prime and accrued experience. Explosive, power-dependent sports (sprints, RBs) peak earlier, while skill-and IQ-driven roles (quarterbacks, basketball) often extend peak performance into the late 20s and even early 30s.

 

[Pequeño Corey]

It really highlights just how special Jon Jones is. To be so dominant at such a young age. I know this bothers some people at a deep and fundamental level, but at some point you just have to accept greatness.