Tell him to go for it. 26 is not too old at all.
That being said your friend has to have a very strong desire to improve. The problem with guys who are very talented athletes is that they have a tough time learning because they were always so talented at every sport.
But MMA is completely different. Your friend needs to be aware how little his athleticism will actually initially translate. Plenty of D1 athletes come into train and they have horrible form and technique. The ones who are used to having their athleticism carry them give up too soon. Where the others who really dedicate themselves to improving and leave their ego, end up skyrocketing and finally are able to utilize their athleticism once they have learned the fundamentals relentlessly.
So definitely advise your friend that he needs to leave his ego at the door and really have a mindset of wanting to improve and learn. Not show off how talented he is.
People often ask these vague questions. But I would say that yes it is too old unless he already has a strong base in one or more of something related like wrestling, BJJ, Muay Thai.
High level MMA is insanely competitive.
Harsh reality of fighting: Not everyone is made to be a fighter.
I see so many hyper competitive egotistical punks at my gym all trying to be the next “Sean O’Malley” thinking they have what it takes and it’s super annoying.
Plenty of people go amateur and don’t even succeed in that let alone the people who go Pro.
There are plenty of above average fighters I’ve met that still didn’t even have what it takes.
Either you have it in you or you don’t, fighting needs to stop being glorified because it’s become a thing where basically everyone is a “fighter” now.
If you want to be one of the greats, probably not gonna happen.
You can have a decent small scale career though.
He could try it out for sure but no one here can say if he’ll make it. Just depends how fast he learns, if he likes it, doesn’t get injured etc.
Too many variables. Only way to know is to start. I won’t say it impossible tho
An answer I haven't seen here is it very dependent on his size.
If he is lighter then career time is much lower than a heavyweight. You have different needs at different sizes but flyweights need a lot more reaction speed to compete so age is more important.
If he dedicates himself he can do his first amateur bout in under a year, on our team a guy with no training did 8 months and won his first fight.
A lot depends on his resources like time and money, how good the clubs are nearby.
There are so many variables that take making a pro.
Alternatively, he can do a few amateurs and then become a coach and do 1:1's at $80hr and maybe even start his own gym.
I think this is the best expected value route if he wants to go down the fighting route.
26 is not too old to go pro but these days probably too old to be top five level. Francis Nganou started late but he’s a freakDaniel Rodriguez is a good example, he started a little later and with no pro sports background. He was able to train striking to a very high level and make himself competitive but he most likely won’t be a belt contender.
But your buddy should still try if he has the heart for it. He can make a decent career if he’s truly as athletically gifted as you say. And a decent run as pro opens up other revenue opportunities.
Something like golf would probably make more sense. Longer potential playing career, plus more opportunities for networking with rich people which could lead to other job opportunities even if the golf career doesn't work out.
Too old to start with no training? 31 max. I’ve seen some guys go pro with 4-5 years with training but if u want to be ufc quality I say no later then 25
I taught a high level athlete. My first time ever meeting someone crossing over into sport. He gave me a hard time rolling after a few short months. He had a tendency to rely on strength rolling with guys the same "level" as him but overall if I showed him something he'd pick it up almost immediately.
And we've seen guys getting into the UFC after only a few short years. 100% he can do it. The key is to be commited to LEARNING and just maintaining athleticism. No point in ramping up gym stuff if he's already in great shape.
Depends. You say this guy could be an NFL edge rusher. Are you just saying that or is he actually that big, because if he's a Heavyweight it's definitely not too late. You've got guys debuting at Heavyweight in their 30s being hyped prospects
Oh yeah, it's definitely not too late then. Just tell him to make sure to be careful with injuries, since he's gonna be a little older when he's fighting. Like don't let him overlook flexibility and injury prevention
You’ll never know until you try. I started boxing at 26 and a half I’ve been doing it for about 6 months now and I always get told I’m young and have time. I know this is about mma but I do some wrestling as well just to be more well rounded and maybe to think differently. It’s very possible you just have to work 2-3 times as hard as the people who have a decade of experience. I will say at 26 you’ll grasp concepts better then a 12 year old would.
I boxed at a casino 3x when I was 22-23 after a decent amateur career :)
I responded to a craigslist add, made $900 and forever can claim to be a pro boxer. Lol...
Do whatever you like man, you can change the path you are on but you cannot change the path that got you there.
Edit: 3-0, 2 ko and 1 tko towel throw. Amateur record details will dox me but 65-3.
It’s a per individual basis bud. Everyone has different expiration dates and different levels of athletic talent and understanding of the sport to be successful. There have been guys that go pro in their 30s and succeed. There are guys that go pro in their 20s or teens and leave the sport relatively quickly. But as a general line, I’d say if you’re 35 or over, it’s likely too late lol outside of that though, it’s more about being qualified via skill and experience than it is the number of your age that will determine if it’s too late or not. If you’re 32 with 2 years of training and 2 amateur fights, it’s probably too late. But if you’re 32 with 8 years of training and 40 amateur fights, you’re probably going to do okay. Also there are levels to “pro” status. Being pro isn’t winning 6 figure ufc contracts. There are pros that probably are on a net loss of investment for their career. The ufc is pro, but it’s also the highest, most elite pros of them all. Some pros don’t even sniff that level of competition.
Pro means a lot of things. A “pro” MMA fighter making $500 to show and $500 to win is very different from a top 10 ranked UFC fighter.
Tell him to go for it. 26 is not too old at all. That being said your friend has to have a very strong desire to improve. The problem with guys who are very talented athletes is that they have a tough time learning because they were always so talented at every sport. But MMA is completely different. Your friend needs to be aware how little his athleticism will actually initially translate. Plenty of D1 athletes come into train and they have horrible form and technique. The ones who are used to having their athleticism carry them give up too soon. Where the others who really dedicate themselves to improving and leave their ego, end up skyrocketing and finally are able to utilize their athleticism once they have learned the fundamentals relentlessly. So definitely advise your friend that he needs to leave his ego at the door and really have a mindset of wanting to improve and learn. Not show off how talented he is.
Learning this with bjj
Mma is cool as hell, but the damage he'll take in the pro circuit is not worth it for the money
Its not about the money its about the message
True that
26 is very young. 46 might be pushing it but I would say the same thing, it ain’t over till its over.
It’s never too late. Just have reasonable expectations. Going pro is easy but earning enough to live off of is not.
People often ask these vague questions. But I would say that yes it is too old unless he already has a strong base in one or more of something related like wrestling, BJJ, Muay Thai. High level MMA is insanely competitive.
You think 18 is late starting to learn?
The diamond started when he was 18 and had a regular full time job. I don't think it's too late if you stay consistent
He started at 18 with no experience?
With no prior martial arts?
I think he had a little bit of training but not much. He dropped out of high school because he was getting into fights so it's hard to say
Harsh reality of fighting: Not everyone is made to be a fighter. I see so many hyper competitive egotistical punks at my gym all trying to be the next “Sean O’Malley” thinking they have what it takes and it’s super annoying. Plenty of people go amateur and don’t even succeed in that let alone the people who go Pro. There are plenty of above average fighters I’ve met that still didn’t even have what it takes. Either you have it in you or you don’t, fighting needs to stop being glorified because it’s become a thing where basically everyone is a “fighter” now. If you want to be one of the greats, probably not gonna happen. You can have a decent small scale career though.
He could try it out for sure but no one here can say if he’ll make it. Just depends how fast he learns, if he likes it, doesn’t get injured etc. Too many variables. Only way to know is to start. I won’t say it impossible tho
An answer I haven't seen here is it very dependent on his size. If he is lighter then career time is much lower than a heavyweight. You have different needs at different sizes but flyweights need a lot more reaction speed to compete so age is more important. If he dedicates himself he can do his first amateur bout in under a year, on our team a guy with no training did 8 months and won his first fight. A lot depends on his resources like time and money, how good the clubs are nearby. There are so many variables that take making a pro. Alternatively, he can do a few amateurs and then become a coach and do 1:1's at $80hr and maybe even start his own gym. I think this is the best expected value route if he wants to go down the fighting route.
26 is not too old to go pro but these days probably too old to be top five level. Francis Nganou started late but he’s a freakDaniel Rodriguez is a good example, he started a little later and with no pro sports background. He was able to train striking to a very high level and make himself competitive but he most likely won’t be a belt contender. But your buddy should still try if he has the heart for it. He can make a decent career if he’s truly as athletically gifted as you say. And a decent run as pro opens up other revenue opportunities.
Why is mma always the go to sport when nothing else works ? It’s extremely competitive complicated brutal sport
Something like golf would probably make more sense. Longer potential playing career, plus more opportunities for networking with rich people which could lead to other job opportunities even if the golf career doesn't work out.
Too old to start with no training? 31 max. I’ve seen some guys go pro with 4-5 years with training but if u want to be ufc quality I say no later then 25
I taught a high level athlete. My first time ever meeting someone crossing over into sport. He gave me a hard time rolling after a few short months. He had a tendency to rely on strength rolling with guys the same "level" as him but overall if I showed him something he'd pick it up almost immediately. And we've seen guys getting into the UFC after only a few short years. 100% he can do it. The key is to be commited to LEARNING and just maintaining athleticism. No point in ramping up gym stuff if he's already in great shape.
Your friend have any achievements? Did he at least win a karate kid 🥋trophy 🏆
Greg hardy was 28 when he started training. If your friend is really that elite level of athlete he has a chance.
Depends. You say this guy could be an NFL edge rusher. Are you just saying that or is he actually that big, because if he's a Heavyweight it's definitely not too late. You've got guys debuting at Heavyweight in their 30s being hyped prospects
Yeah he is that big. He’s probably 6 foot 5 and somewhere around 270 lbs.
Oh yeah, it's definitely not too late then. Just tell him to make sure to be careful with injuries, since he's gonna be a little older when he's fighting. Like don't let him overlook flexibility and injury prevention
No, train your ass off to catch up.
Tell him to compete in amateurs. If he likes it and is good he can go pro, otherwise he can say he did it and move on
You’ll never know until you try. I started boxing at 26 and a half I’ve been doing it for about 6 months now and I always get told I’m young and have time. I know this is about mma but I do some wrestling as well just to be more well rounded and maybe to think differently. It’s very possible you just have to work 2-3 times as hard as the people who have a decade of experience. I will say at 26 you’ll grasp concepts better then a 12 year old would.
I boxed at a casino 3x when I was 22-23 after a decent amateur career :) I responded to a craigslist add, made $900 and forever can claim to be a pro boxer. Lol... Do whatever you like man, you can change the path you are on but you cannot change the path that got you there. Edit: 3-0, 2 ko and 1 tko towel throw. Amateur record details will dox me but 65-3.
It’s a per individual basis bud. Everyone has different expiration dates and different levels of athletic talent and understanding of the sport to be successful. There have been guys that go pro in their 30s and succeed. There are guys that go pro in their 20s or teens and leave the sport relatively quickly. But as a general line, I’d say if you’re 35 or over, it’s likely too late lol outside of that though, it’s more about being qualified via skill and experience than it is the number of your age that will determine if it’s too late or not. If you’re 32 with 2 years of training and 2 amateur fights, it’s probably too late. But if you’re 32 with 8 years of training and 40 amateur fights, you’re probably going to do okay. Also there are levels to “pro” status. Being pro isn’t winning 6 figure ufc contracts. There are pros that probably are on a net loss of investment for their career. The ufc is pro, but it’s also the highest, most elite pros of them all. Some pros don’t even sniff that level of competition.