Which fighter started their pro career at the earliest age?

[GangGangGang]

Was checking Valentina's record and realized she started her pro career at the tender age of 15. She won by 2nd round TKO. It's hard to imagine a 15 year old female stepping inside the cage at the pro level.

Rory Macdonald also comes to mind. He was infamously known for being an all around MMA talent at a very early age. He made his pro debut a few months after his 16th birthday.

Does anyone else have fights at an earlier age than these two? Specifically pro fights only.

 

[mjoln]

 

[Fight Professor]

Erick Silva

 

[Benoitthegr8]

Whomever is on the best age cutting PED

 

[RonMachineGunJhun]

Was checking Valentina's record and realized she started her pro career at the tender age of 15. She won by 2nd round TKO. It's hard to imagine a 15 year old female stepping inside the cage at the pro level.

Rory Macdonald also comes to mind. He was infamously known for being an all around MMA talent at a very early age. He made his pro debut a few months after his 16th birthday.

Does anyone else have fights at an earlier age than these two? Specifically pro fights only.

Penn I think was 17 his first fight when he was living in california. I think he was like 18 for his first UFC fight. I started pretty early to. alot of our early stuff isnt even recorded on sherdog or anywhere else. Maybe some random VHS tape.

 

[FKAri]

KhabibVsBear.gif

What about some of those MT guys in One? They always start super young.

 

[Y2Khaos]

Dan Lauzon debut in the UFC at 18

 

[bref]

Jordan Mein debuted professionally at 16, I think. Against Rory Mac.

 

[BestPosterNA]

 

[nick jacoby]

Erik Silva started his MMA career before he was even born

 

[FIghtxIQ]

Was checking Valentina's record and realized she started her pro career at the tender age of 15. She won by 2nd round TKO. It's hard to imagine a 15 year old female stepping inside the cage at the pro level.

Rory Macdonald also comes to mind. He was infamously known for being an all around MMA talent at a very early age. He made his pro debut a few months after his 16th birthday.

Does anyone else have fights at an earlier age than these two? Specifically pro fights only.

Was that mma or kickboxing/muay thai at 15? kickboxing and muay thai pros can start at an earlier age. MMA you don't really see pros at that age. Didn't she have a kickboxing/muay thai career first before getting into mma like Joanna? They even fought in their kickboxing/muay thai careers before UFC.

 

[Xoleth]

Carlos Condit was very young when he started.
He is 36, has been fighting since 2002, at 18.

Btw (european here)... in US, you cannot buy a beer until 21, but you can't go on a cage and beat the shit out of another guy at 16? Nice! Don't you need your parents' agreement, though? Something on paper?

 

[Willek]

One of those Chinese fellas was the fighter born in the 00s to fight in the UFC.

 

[Limit Smasher]

Marcin Held

Fighting pro since age 16 in 2008 and is still only 29.

 

[D4C]

Rory MacDonald also made his pro debut at the age of sixteen.

 

[Rdude92]

Legendary clip of a legend in mma history. Hope he comes back

 

[notafighter86]

Wasnt Karo fighting mma as a teenager too?

 

[GangGangGang]

Was that mma or kickboxing/muay thai at 15? kickboxing and muay thai pros can start at an earlier age. MMA you don't really see pros at that age. Didn't she have a kickboxing/muay thai career first before getting into mma like Joanna? They even fought in their kickboxing/muay thai careers before UFC.

Her pro debut in mma. Check out her record. It was in 2003.

 

[FIGHTING TALK]

Off the top of my head

Rory McDonald
Vitor
Nick Diaz
Max Holloway
Sergio Pettis
Dan Lauzon
Marcin Held
Chase Hooper
Paddy Pimblett
Vicente Luque
Gunnar Nelson
Rong Zhu

 

[Rvd Slmr]

Struve made his pro debut at 17, but it's not that surprising considering his size.