UFC 130: Matt Hamill, Rampage Jackson and 10 Fighters Whose Age May Surprise You

I was talking to some of my fellow Bleacher Report MMA colleagues the other day, and we were discussing the UFC 130 main event featuring Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Matt “The Hammer” Hamill. It wasn’t long before we were discussing how we miss “the old Rampage” and how this wouldn’t even have been considered a fight a couple of years ago, when he was younger.

As he has gotten older, Jackson has dropped off in skills, and he just doesn’t seem to have the same intensity that he had in his younger years.

But then we got to thinking—just how old is Rampage?

We looked into it and were surprised to find out that—at 32 years old—not only is he younger than we thought, but he’s actually younger than his opponent in the UFC 130 main event, Matt Hamill, who is 34!

Really? Yes, really!

So that got me thinking—what other fighters are older or younger than we think they are? I did some quick research, and the results may surprise some fans.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Age: 34

Category: Younger Than We Thought

Professional MMA Debut: June 1999

“Big Nog” is a legend in the truest form of the word. His 32-6-1 record has been accomplished against some of the most difficult competition of any fighter in the sport’s history, and his championship history may never be repeated.

To this day, Nogueira is the only man to have held a championship belt in both Pride and the UFC, when he became the Interim UFC Champion in February 2008. He was the very first Pride Heavyweight Champion all the way back in November 2001.

With his history comes the perception that not only is Nogueira too old to be a champion again, but also that he really should be considering retirement. Of course, there are plenty of other fighters who have fought well past 34 and even into their 40s.

What’s perhaps funniest about Nogueira’s age is that his brother, “Lil Nog” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, is actually his twin, but they do not seem to share the same level of scrutiny about their age. 

Josh Koscheck

Age: 33

Category: Older Than We Thought

Professional MMA Debut: January 2003

When Josh Koscheck made his debut for the UFC as a middleweight in the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, he was portrayed as a kid who liked to have fun and had potential but needed to develop his skills to become a well-rounded fighter.

Little did we know that he was actually already 27 years old.

Still, Koscheck has done his job and heavily improved his standup game while maintaining his status as one of the best wrestlers in the UFC’s welterweight division. He is a perennial contender for the championship and doesn’t even seem to be close to retirement age.

Gegard Mousasi

Age: 25

Category: Younger Than We Thought

Professional MMA Debut: April 2003

Former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi made his MMA debut at just 17 years old, fighting in his native country of Holland.

By the time he made his debut for Pride in 2006 as a 20-year-old, Mousasi had already racked up a 12-1-1 career record with all 12 victories coming by way of stoppage, either by knockout or submission.

Now just 25 and one of Strikeforce’s top light heavyweights, Mousasi’s skills are extremely well developed for a fighter of his age. He’s so physically talented that many first-time viewers have to be wondering if he’s in his 30s.

Cung Le

Age: 39

Category: Older Than We Thought

Professional MMA Debut: March 2006

For those who are aware of this former undefeated kickboxing superstar, this one might actually be the most surprising on the entire list.

Le made his MMA debut for Strikeforce at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie in March of 2006 by completely crushing Mark Altman in the first round of their fight. He would go on to dominate every fight before his acting career began, including a punishing victory over Frank Shamrock to become the Strikeforce Middleweight Champion.

He did lose a fight to Scott Smith upon returning to the promotion after a long layoff but would later avenge that defeat in what may prove to be his final MMA fight in June 2010.

Some fans seem to have quite a bit of frustration with Le, who has turned away from his fighting career to pursue acting, but it may make a bit more sense when they find out just how old he is.

Fedor Emelianenko

Age: 34

Category: Younger Than We Thought

Professional MMA Debut: May 2000

Perhaps the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, Fedor Emelianenko was once considered “unbeatable” by many fans and even some experts of the sport. His cold and calm demeanor made him one of the most intimidating forces ever to fight and really only added to his legend.

But now with back-to-back losses for the first time in his career, fans have begun calling for his retirement. Even Fedor himself has mentioned a few times that he has considered the possibility of hanging up his gloves.

But at 34 years old, Fedor is not at the age when most fighters are considered to be far enough over the hill that they have to retire. In fact, his next scheduled opponent, Dan Henderson, is already 40, and very few people are calling for him to retire.

Karo Pariysan

Age: 28

Category: Younger Than We Thought

Professional MMA Debut: February 1999

Armenian native Karo “The Heat” Parisyan is one of the most famous judo practitioners ever to compete in an MMA fight. His unique style made him a star in the sport and earned him his first UFC fight at just 20 years old.

Now eight years and a failed drug test later, Parisyan doesn’t really look or perform like a 28-year-old. His once extremely unique and difficult-to-combat skills have seemed to diminish with time, and he does not seem to have the same fire that helped personify his nickname.

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

Age: 29

Category: Younger Than We Thought

Professional MMA Debut: November 2002

As a big fan of Shogun’s, this one didn’t come as a particularly big surprise to me, personally, but I know that there are a growing number of fans who seem to believe that the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion is past his prime.

I’m here to tell you that it’s simply not true.

Sure, 29 may not be the age when most guys start hitting their stride, but it’s also not usually an age when the fighter’s skills start to deteriorate either.

My theory is that the beatdown he took in his most recent fight with Jon Jones really shocked people so much that they are overlooking the facts. I don’t believe it was Rua’s age that played the biggest part in him losing that fight. To me, it seems fairly obvious that he was not physically up to the challenge of fighting Jon Jones because a recurring knee injury kept him from training to the level he should have been at.

If he’s able to overcome the knee injury, I expect to see the same Mauricio “Shogun” Rua that smashed Lyoto Machida in May 2010 return.

Kenny Florian

Age: 35 

Category: Older Than We Thought

Professional MMA Debut: February 2002

Wow! Kenny Florian is 35 years old?!

This one shocked me the most of any of the fighters on the list, personally, which is why I saved it for last.

If you would have asked me how old I thought Kenny Florian was, I would probably said that he’s in his late 20s, maybe very early 30s. But mid-30s is way older than I would have guessed.

What’s even crazier is that, after making his debut in the UFC’s 185-pound middleweight division, he is now preparing to cut all the way down to 145 for his next fight! This is a guy who has fought—and been successful—in three different weight classes and is now getting ready to make it four.

Though he is yet to hold a UFC championship, it’s hard not to respect a guy who has stayed in such excellent shape at this age. While fighters younger than him like Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko “Cro Cop” and Rampage Jackson appear to be nearing the end of their respective careers, Florian is setting himself up for a long run that may just end, this time, with UFC gold.

UFC 130 Rampage vs. Hamill Fight Card: News, Previews & Predictions, Results and More!