Will today's fighters last as long

[BowserJr]

There are quite a few fighters from previous eras that had very long tenured at the top

Silva
Couture
Fedor
GSP
Belfort
Hendo

Belfort was probably the longest. Do yall think anyone today stays on top as long as any of these guys?

 

[Frank McEdgar]

Keep sprinkling parmesan cheese in the hotel rugs and Conor fights into his late 40's

 

[IloveTHIS]

Keep sprinkling parmesan cheese in the hotel rugs and Conor fights into his late 40's

What?

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

Keep sprinkling parmesan cheese in the hotel rugs and Conor fights into his late 40's

 

[rorschach51]

There are quite a few fighters from previous eras that had very long tenured at the top

Silva
Couture
Fedor
GSP
Belfort
Hendo

Belfort was probably the longest. Do yall think anyone today stays on top as long as any of these guys?

With them cracking down on PED use I highly doubt it.

 

[Get To Da Choppa]

Only if they remove USADA and make TRT mandatory

 

[Y2Khaos]

They actually test for PEDs now.

Worst thing to ever happen.

 

[Beeruz]

No age limit

 

[Cclick]

Nah

 

[textwarrior]

There are quite a few fighters from previous eras that had very long tenured at the top

Silva
Couture
Fedor
GSP
Belfort
Hendo

Belfort was probably the longest. Do yall think anyone today stays on top as long as any of these guys?

How high will the demands change on the body overtime in MMA ? I think it will get shorter over time.

 

[Gio]

Charles Oliveira has now been in the game longer when it comes to years than GSP, and still only just 31 years old.

 

[surrealworlds]

I think it will even out, today's fighters start younger and when they get to the top fight less. So they will probably have longer careers but less active.

 

[felmmando]

Only if they remove USADA and make TRT mandatory

In fairness, 2017 Belfort still has traps most of us can envy and his forearms have barely shrunk. More to the point, no, he doesn't need bulging pectorals to fight; it's not a bodybuilding competition. Plenty of fighters with 2017 Belfort's muscular development have done well in MMA.

 

[BowserJr]

I think it will even out, today's fighters start younger and when they get to the top fight less. So they will probably have longer careers but less active.

That's a good point

 

[BowserJr]

They actually test for PEDs now.

Worst thing to ever happen.

Which begs the question, were fighters a decade ago better since they were likely on PEDs?

 

[D'z]

I could be wrong. But if the evolution of fighting is any indicator....one day we will have 10-12 round fights and there will be a mma version of Mayweather that is seemingly unbeatable at his weight.

 

[Post 2 Decision]

I'm pretty sure the UFC will be happy feeding Sean O'Malley a bunch of cans for the next 20 years

 

[tehMoose]

Mousasi fought in PRIDE in 2006 and in 2021 he's 10-1 in his last 11 and Bellator MW champ. Always been a top guy

#2 at MW, look at this era, he's the only one relevant from them

#4 at LHW

And in 2021 still top 3

 

[blaseblah]

Only if they remove USADA and make TRT mandatory

Yes, I think Vitor's prime would have been much shorter without PEDs. He's used pretty much his entire career until the end of his UFC run.

 

[Cclick]

Depends. You plan on refrigerating them or freezing them? Cuz that makes a difference