What's the average physical prime age for MMA fighters ?

Tabarnakos

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In general of course as not every fighters seems to hit their prime at the same time.Was there any studies done on this ? Because i've seen lot of numbers being thrown around. Some places i've read that it's in the mid 20 (24-25). Other places i've read that while your reflexes , speed and agility maybe at their optimum at 24-25 , MMA fighters (especially grapplers) are generally better and stronger in their late 20 , early 30's due to more muscular maturity , experience ect.

Personally i'm not sure that to think. From what i've noticed it seems that strikers generally hit their prime and are at their best in their mid 20s (Shogun , Cro Cop , Arlovski ect) while wrestlers or grapplers do tend to be better in their late 20s - early 30s. Would that be a fair assessment ?
 
It's different for everyone and highly dependent on style. Fighters that rely heavily on speed or reflexes tend to peak earlier because these attributes decline with age.
Fighters with power often have decent longevity because it's one of the last things to go.
Damage sustained also has a lot to do with it. If you regularly go to war you're less likely to have a lengthy career when compared to a sound defensive fighter.

It's hard to put a figure on it, especially since MMA is still quite young.
 
Hard to tell.. A fighter's speed and reflexes might decline but not many notice because their skill and experience fill in the gap.
 
You have to put injuries into the equation. That changes everything, but I'd say on average anywhere between 27-32
 
Is this concept of "reflexes and speed start to decline with age" somehow proven? Even that seems pretty individual to me.
 
It really depends on the style and fighter. But if the fighter kept great condition I think around his 29-33 you will probably see the best. I am assuming the fighter began training martial arts from teenage years and enter MMA by 20.

But I am sure it varies. Guys like Anderson Silva at 36 look like they are in prime physical shape.
 
Yeah it depends on fighting style, damage/injuries sustained, and how much their technique improves over time.

Not to pick on Rampage, but there's an example of a dude who just has not gotten any better at fighting over the years. He needs to train year round and learn new techniques.

Shogun, meanwhile, is an example of a guy who has just had too many injuries. Otherwise he could still be in his prime.
 
I remember wondering this same thing a while back and while this certainly isn't directly applicable it's still interesting. I took the top 6 world records in track events ranging from the 100m to the 1500m and averaged the ages of the runners when they achieved those times. The average came out to about 25.5.
 
Is this concept of "reflexes and speed start to decline with age" somehow proven? Even that seems pretty individual to me.

Theres plenty of evidence to show that it does occur and the rates may differ on an individual basis, but the science is there. The thing is guys can make up for it with timing and the experience that comes from a long career.
Fighters who are good at picking up on tells or baiting opponents with feints can give the illusion of preternatural reflexes when they're simply anticipating and timing. Ala Anderson Silva.
 
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