Like every athletic sport, MMA has a standard age to start with. To keep healthy there is no age limit to start training in Mixed Martial Arts. Naturally, trained MMA fighters can start the sport professionally at the age of 30 at ease. Today we shall discuss whether it is too late to start MMA fighting at the age of 30.
No Age Bar for MMA Fighter
Regardless of how old you are, you can start training and fighting at your convenient time, depending on your fitness.
People aged 30 years are at best called shy-middle aged. In fact, the stage of life belongs to the prime period of life. Having arrived at this age, a man possessed with good health and sound mind can easily get himself involved in MMA fights. He can occupy MMA as a profession. It is never too late for a man, aged 30, to start MMA.
Many accomplished MMA fighters in their thirties and even forties have successfully completed their careers. However, an MMA fighter trains various techniques from various popular martial arts. That’s why it’s called Mixed Martial Arts. The fighters practise the arts both at home and gym. The training age too is a great factor. A good age to start with MMA training is around 13–16 years. However, younger children must be trained under the direct supervision of the designated trainers as their limbs are not fully formed yet. But there are no hard and fast rules of MMA training for adults, because they are at liberty to train as they like it. They are just required to learn the fighting techniques from the incorporated martial arts.
After training, MMA fighters are often introduced by coaches and under the contract of the promoter’s organisations.
The State Athletic Commission states that the minimum age to fight in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) is 18 years old. With no upper age limit, which easily accepts 30-year-old MMA fighters for UFC competition. On the other hand, MMA Fighters must be between the ages of 21 and 34 years. So, 30-year-old MMA fighters can gladly start fighting at this age.
MMA Average Retirement Age
The retirement age from any occupation indicates physical and mental strength. Usually, UFC fighters feel inclined to prolong their professional careers, even past their due dates regardless of their health risk. Most MMA fighters in the UFC retire somewhere between 35 and 40 years of age. But some stubborn fighters continue the fighting career until they utterly fail to rise again to fight back.
MMA Fighters In Their Thirties and Forties
In this context, some prominent MMA fighters’ names in their thirties and forties are below:
- Anderson Silva: Anderson Silva, at the age of 46, retires from MMA with a record of 34-11 in his professional career. Nicknamed ‘The Spider’ won the UFC Middleweight Title in 2006 at UFC 64.
- Georges St-Pierre: Abbreviated name GSP, a highly acclaimed MMA fighter, retired from the sport with a record of 26 wins and two defeats at the age of 37.
- B.J. Penn: B J Penn, former UFC Lightweight and Welterweight champion, retired from professional MMA at the age of 35.
- Fabricio Werdum: The Brazilian fighter retired from MMA at the age 45, who still tries his hand at professional Boxing.
- Rashad Evans: Rashad Evans dutifully retired from MMA at the age of 42.
- Demian Maia: Demian Maia at present 45 years old. Since Demian Maia retired from professional MMA, he keeps himself busy by competing in professional grappling instead.
- Rich Franklin: Rich Franklin retired from MMA at 40 years of age, with an overall record of 29 wins, 7 losses, and 1 no contest.
- Yoel Romero: The Cuban fighter is currently 42 years old. He fights at Middleweight and wants to continue for another decade. Yoel Romero is a powerhouse of strength and agility, with a convincing capacity of continuing fighting for a decade more.
There are more professional MMA fighters who have fought later their age of life. We also have an amazing MMA fighter named Randy Couture. Couture retired in 2006 and came out of retirement in 2007 to reclaim the heavyweight title for the 3rd time. He then resigned temporarily and again came back to UFC. In 2011, he finally retired at the age of 47.
We understand from the above discussion that an MMA fighter of 30 years old is quite capable of fighting professionally. A healthy body by born and built-up body by gym can combinedly develop a strong professional physique. With taking care and good maintenance of health an MMA fighter can continue fighting passing by the average age of retirement.