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Traditionally, MMA is a sport for younger fighters, with the UFC’s top stars usually peaking in their mid to late 20’s.
Despite this, we have seen a number of big UFC stars succeed in the octagon despite starting MMA late in their career.
Usually, these fighters came from an existing athletic background, giving them a boost on some of their rivals. However, it was still impressive to see them succeed despite starting MMA late.
Here are seven famous UFC fighters who started late in their career.
#7. Matt Mitrione – former UFC heavyweight contender (started MMA at 31 years old)
Matt Mitrione did not claim gold in the UFC, but he was a highly-regarded heavyweight contender during his time there. He also went onto have some success with Bellator, knocking out the legendary Fedor Emelianenko in 2017.
‘Meathead’ was usually praised for his athleticism, but he may have achieved even more in the world of MMA had he started the sport a little earlier.
Mitrione actually made his name on the gridiron, featuring in the NFL with the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings between 2002 and 2005.
2009, though, saw him turn his hand to MMA. He emerged as a contestant on the 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter, and made his professional debut in the UFC against Marcus Jones at the age of 31.
Considering that he started MMA so late, the fact that his octagon career ended with a record of 9-5, including wins over Derrick Lewis and Gabriel Gonzaga, is impressive.
#6. Rodolfo Vieira – UFC middleweight contender (started MMA at 27 years old)
Current UFC middleweight contender Rodolfo Vieira can definitely be considered to have started his MMA career late on. The Brazilian had his first professional fight in 2017 at the age of 27, and didn’t enter the octagon until 2019, when he was a month away from turning 30.
However, even before his debut, ‘The Black Belt Hunter’ had more experience in grappling than most of the UFC’s roster put together.
Vieira started training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the age of just 13, and at the age of just 20, he won a gold medal at the Abu Dhabi World Cup despite still being a brown belt.
Since then, he has established himself as one of the world’s most feared grapplers, and holds a stellar record of 100-9 on the mat.
In MMA, though, he’s found things a little trickier. His octagon record currently stands at 4-2, and in 2021, he suffered a stunning submission loss to Anthony Hernandez via guillotine choke.
#5. Yoel Romero – former UFC middleweight contender (started MMA at 32 years old)
Given that he was an Olympic silver medallist in freestyle wrestling, it was no surprise that Cuba’s Yoel Romero was instantly considered a hot prospect when he turned to MMA in 2009.
However, what made him unique was the fact that he’d won his silver medal in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, and was actually 32 years old by the time that he took his first professional fight.
‘The Soldier of God’ eventually moved to the UFC after putting together a record of 4-1, but his octagon debut came on April 20 2013, ten days before his 36th birthday.
Remarkably, Romero’s advanced age didn’t seem to affect his performances. Showing incredible athleticism and brutal striking power to go with his top-class wrestling, ‘The Soldier of God’ put together a record of 9-4 during his time with the promotion.
He defeated top fighters like Luke Rockhold, Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida, and were it not for a couple of close calls with the judges, could even have held middleweight gold.
Overall, Romero remains a standard-bearer for fighters moving into MMA at a later stage in their athletic careers.
#4. Chuck Liddell – former UFC light-heavyweight champion (started MMA at 29 years old)
Back in the early days of the UFC, plenty of fighters started their MMA careers late, simply because MMA as a sport hadn’t existed before. Naturally, not too many of them went onto any great success.
One exception to that rule, though, was Chuck Liddell. ‘The Iceman’ first appeared in the octagon in May 1998, at the age of 29, defeating opponent Noe Hernandez via decision.
However, it was another three years before he really started to rocket to fame by knocking out the likes of Kevin Randleman and ‘Babalu’ Sobral. His light-heavyweight title win, meanwhile, didn’t come until April 2005, by which point Liddell was 35.
Of course, ‘The Iceman’ did have an extensive background in wrestling, karate and kickboxing before his MMA career, essentially the perfect tools to help him reach the top.
However, his advanced age when he reached the top perhaps explains why his stay there was relatively short in comparison to his peers. Liddell retired five years after his title win, but while that felt soon, he was actually 40 years old at the time.
#3. Brock Lesnar – former UFC heavyweight champion (started MMA at 30 years old)
Former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is probably the UFC’s ultimate ‘what if?’ question. ‘The Beast Incarnate’ won an NCAA Division I wrestling title in his collegiate days, meaning he always had the perfect skillset to translate into MMA.
However, Lesnar instead headed to the world of WWE after his graduation, and spent the next four years at the top of the pro-wrestling game.
By the time he finally decided to transition to MMA in 2007, he was already 30 years old. What’s more, his body had taken years of abuse in the wrestling ring.
That makes what he actually achieved once he got to the octagon even more astonishing. Lesnar won the UFC heavyweight title in just his third fight there, and made two successful defenses before losing it to Cain Velasquez in 2010.
Sure, his MMA career was over a little more than a year later (ignoring his 2016 return) but for someone who started so late, his achievements remain impressive. What he could’ve done had he started MMA earlier is hard to fathom.
#2. Alex Pereira – former UFC middleweight champion (started MMA at 28 years old)
While he no longer holds the UFC middleweight title, after losing it to heated rival Israel Adesanya earlier this year, it’s safe to say that Alex Pereira remains one of the most feared men on the roster.
‘Poatan’ is about to move to 205lbs in an attempt to claim gold there, but interestingly, his window of time may not be as long as many fans think.
That’s because he’s already 35 years old, and will turn 36 in July. Pereira was a late starter to MMA, making his debut in the sport at the age of 28 in October 2015, but realistically, he only began to focus on it five years later, at the age of 33.
Of course, ‘Poatan’ could never be considered a neophyte to combat sports. As everyone knows, the Brazilian made his name as one of the world’s top kickboxers, having started training in his early 20’s and winning his first title there at 26.
However, the fact that he’s been able to switch to MMA so successfully is highly impressive, especially when you consider the amount of top kickboxers over the years who failed to do so.
#1. Randy Couture – former UFC heavyweight champion (started MMA at 33 years old)
Despite being persona non grata with Dana White these days, Randy Couture remains a legend of the UFC.
His accomplishments remain astonishing, and he still holds the record for being the oldest titleholder in octagon history, having unseated Tim Sylvia to claim the heavyweight title for the third time at the age of 43.
Of course, part of the reason for Couture’s longevity in the octagon was because he didn’t start MMA until a more advanced age than most of his peers.
‘The Natural’ debuted in May 1997, just weeks before his 34th birthday, following a lengthy and successful career in the world of Greco-Roman wrestling. It was this wrestling skill that allowed him to dominate his foes for so long.
Had Couture been younger when he first stepped into the octagon, then who knows what he could’ve accomplished? Even so, though, he achieved more in just over a decade than most younger fighters do in far more time.
