What's the criteria for no longer being in your prime?

[NoBiasJustMMA]

Peds?

PEDS didn't teach Anderson how to become a better wrestler/grappler and they didn't teach Werdum how to be a better striker or how to mix his striking and grappling. I'm sure they helped but both Anderson and Werdum were more well rounded fighters in their mid 30s then they were in their early 30s.

MMA isn't like track and field, there's a lot more skill involved.

 

[Marc A]

PEDS didn't teach Anderson how to become a better wrestler/grappler and they didn't teach Werdum how to be a better striker or how to mix his striking and grappling. I'm sure they helped but both Anderson and Werdum were more well rounded fighters in their mid 30s then they were in their early 30s.

Peds don't work?

Reason to take it right.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

Peds don't work?

Reason to take it right.

Who said PEDs don't work? Besides, both Anderson and Werdum were in Pride in their physical primes so it's not like they couldn't use them then as well. They still became more skilled mixed martial artists in their mid 30s.

An MMA fighter's physical prime isn't the only important thing, how good they are at fighting is very important as well.

 

[HHJ]

That's a fun use of circular logic:
"My favorite fighter can't be beaten in his prime!"
So when did his prime end?
"When he lost."
So how do we know someone couldn't have beaten him before that?
"Because he was undefeated"

Yep.

 

[HHJ]

That's an absurd comparison. Ali was almost 40 when he fought Berbick. He was already showing clear signs of Parkinson's and had already taken a gruesome beating from Larry Holmes. Fedor was 33 when he stupidly jumped into Werdum's guard. That's not old for a HW MMA fighter and he'd taken little damage--he'd never even been KO'd.

It's stuff like this that makes Fedor fanboys look moronic and it's what turned me off Fedor.

War fedor.

 

[Flex Plexico]

When you are losing physical abilities faster than you are gaining new skills. Just because you are in your prime doesn't mean you can't lose and just because you are passed your prime doesn't mean you can't win.

Most people are passed their primes around 12 years into their pro careers.

I like this definition

it’s like when you’re in a leaky boat and can’t bail the water out as fast as it’s flowing in

maybe there is a tipping point in every fighter’s career. A half-life

 

[Cagecide]

Post your favorite moment of "past prime."

Unforgettable...

 

[Aluminati]

Basically when the next generation of fighters has adapted or happens to have the appropriate skillset to push you out of the top 5.

 

[sprucelees]

when people start adding the word "prime" to a fighter's name

 

[IndyCovaHart]

Trying to fly from Japan to America with a PRIDE Open Weight GP belt.

That shit takes years off your life more than the in-flight Salisbury steak.

 

[Andre Xiong]

Usually loss of speed, tentativeness, and gun shyness are the tale tale signs.

Good signs

+ suddenly bad chin

 

[DLX]

Good signs

+ suddenly bad chin

This can happen to some guys while still in their prime, unfortunately.

 

[grimballer]

Prime years for an athlete are around 25 to 35

That’s when you’re at your optimal strength + speed

More precisely 28 to 32

Of course some athletes will be dominant earlier n stay good in later years, however physical prime is in mid 20s to mid 30s

 

[laleggenda27]

That's an absurd comparison. Ali was almost 40 when he fought Berbick. He was already showing clear signs of Parkinson's and had already taken a gruesome beating from Larry Holmes. Fedor was 33 when he stupidly jumped into Werdum's guard. That's not old for a HW MMA fighter and he'd taken little damage--he'd never even been KO'd.

It's stuff like this that makes Fedor fanboys look moronic and it's what turned me off Fedor.

I'm not a Fedor fanboy, but your argument crumbles when you say things like, "33 is not old for a HW MMA fighter."

First, in just about every sport, being 33 means you are on the backside of your career. A man's athleticism starts to wane well before reaching the age of 33. That fact isn't even up for debate.

Second, every athlete ages differently, which is dependent on a number of factors (e.g., genetics, quality of training, nagging injuries, mileage on the body, etc.).

Third, Fedor's style was never conducive to longevity. He was a small HW who depended on being a fast twitch athlete (i.e., explosion, quickness, reflexes, etc.). Those are the first attributes to decline as a man ages. Whereas guys who rely on being physically power or who are grinders are able to stay relevant much older. There's a reason why guys like George Foreman and Bernard Hopkins were champions well into their 40s (albeit not as good as when they were younger), while someone like Ali (and other fast-twitch boxers) was completely shot in his mid 30s.

Fourth, MMA has done an awful job of developing young HW prospects over the years. Hence, there has been an abundance of old veterans who have remained relevant. This isn't indicative of the fact that "33 is not old for a HW MMA fighter." Rather, it's due to the fact that not enough young lions have come along to replace the old ones. Whereas most divisions have gotten better and deeper over the years, HW has grown thinner.

 

[ColombianFist]

The older you get, the less testosterone your Body produces to heal faster and have more energy in Training. Plus the damage you took in fights, injuries, number of fights etc..

 

[SpongeJoshSquareCheck]

When your body starts to look like a flat tire and you're making excuses for your losses.

Post USADA Johny Hendricks?

 

[cheesus]

Everyone has a different prime, you should see a decline around mid 30's from speed, reflexes and injury recovery but you still gain experience, knowledge and skills. Also largely depends on how active you are as a fighter and what age you started your career.

 

[Mike]

It's nothing that arbitrary. Some guys llike Fedor continue to win while obviously looking slower and less sharp overall, until they hit a bad matchup. Some guys, like Penn, are completely done as soon as they lose a step athletically.

 

[Mike]

PEDS didn't teach Anderson how to become a better wrestler/grappler and they didn't teach Werdum how to be a better striker or how to mix his striking and grappling. I'm sure they helped but both Anderson and Werdum were more well rounded fighters in their mid 30s then they were in their early 30s.

MMA isn't like track and field, there's a lot more skill involved.

This is the most common "peds aren't that bad" argument that I see on here. The problem with it, is peds allow you to recover faster, which means you can train more often while still maintaining strength and vitality. And resistance to injury. So yes, taking peds DOES help with all the things you listed.


And the idea that enhancing strength and stamina, and boosting confidence and aggression, couldn't enhance striking and grappling...

 

[Mike]

I'm not a Fedor fanboy, but your argument crumbles when you say things like, "33 is not old for a HW MMA fighter."

First, in just about every sport, being 33 means you are on the backside of your career. A man's athleticism starts to wane well before reaching the age of 33. That fact isn't even up for debate.

Second, every athlete ages differently, which is dependent on a number of factors (e.g., genetics, quality of training, nagging injuries, mileage on the body, etc.).

Third, Fedor's style was never conducive to longevity. He was a small HW who depended on being a fast twitch athlete (i.e., explosion, quickness, reflexes, etc.). Those are the first attributes to decline as a man ages. Whereas guys who rely on being physically power or who are grinders are able to stay relevant much older. There's a reason why guys like George Foreman and Bernard Hopkins were champions well into their 40s (albeit not as good as when they were younger), while someone like Ali (and other fast-twitch boxers) was completely shot in his mid 30s.

Fourth, MMA has done an awful job of developing young HW prospects over the years. Hence, there has been an abundance of old veterans who have remained relevant. This isn't indicative of the fact that "33 is not old for a HW MMA fighter." Rather, it's due to the fact that not enough young lions have come along to replace the old ones. Whereas most divisions have gotten better and deeper over the years, HW has grown thinner.

For some reason an aging heavyweight division in mma makes people on here think big men don't get old, or people in their late 30's and early 40s are still in their athletic prime.

There isn't enough money in mma to attract elite athletic hws, so we're watching a bunch of guys fight well past their prime. As you said, Fedor always had a style built around his reflexes. We've seen with a lot of guys in boxing and mma, those styles don't age well. Power is the last thing to go, so he still got some wins but he's been done for awhile.