Dan Henderson, Anderson Silva and the Top 25 MMA Fighters Over 35

With Randy Couture now permanently retired, it is time for a new ageless wonder to shock the MMA world with their inability to decline.

Over the last year or two, several notable fighters have exceeded the age of 35. Most of those athletes will likely retire in the near future, but a select few could go on to realize additional success.

Here are the top 25 fighters over the age of 35 in MMA today.

25. Pedro Rizzo

MMA Record: 19-9

Age: 37

After recently turning 37-years-old, Pedro Rizzo is looking to fight in the UFC again before his retirment.

Although Rizzo has no longer been competing against top heavyweights at this point in his career, he does have three straight wins over well-known fighters in Jeff Monson, Gary Goodridge and Ken Shamrock.

24. Cyrille Diabate

MMA Record: 17-7-1

Age: 37

An excellent striker, Cyrille Diabate burst into the UFC with a first round technical knockout of Luiz Cane.

After losing to Alexander Gustafsson by submission in his next fight, Diabate bounced back with another excellent striking performance against Steve Cantwell.

He might not have the well-rounded game needed to become a contender in the light heavyweight division, but Diabate will remain a tough opponent for any fighter willing to stand with him.

23. Renato Sobral

MMA Record: 36-9

Age: 35

Renato Sobral's last fight came shortly after his 35th birthday and ended in a knockout loss. However, Sobral should still be considered a competitive fighter as he now approaches the age of 36.

Sobral does have a recent victory over Robbie Lawler, who fought for the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship in his last appearance.

22. Keith Jardine

MMA Record: 17-9-2

Age: 35

Having recently been released by the UFC, it is clear that Keith Jardine isn't the fighter he once was now that he has reached the age of 35.

However, Jardine did show that he still has the ability to hang with elite fighters in his last appearance against Gegard Mousasi, which ended in a draw.

21. Mike Brown

MMA Record: 24-8

Age: 35

Mike Brown has lost two in a row and is in danger of being released from the UFC. However, the former WEC Featherweight Champion was competitive in both of those losses, which came against Diego Nunes and Rani Yahya.

Brown will have a chance to show that he still belongs in the UFC when he meets Nam Phan at UFC 133.

20. Matt Serra

MMA Record: 11-7

Age: 37

Despite losing to Chris Lytle in his last fight, Matt Serra is still plenty talented for a 37-year-old fighter.

Injuries have led to much inactivity for Serra, but the former UFC Welterweight Champion has continued to take fights against some of the best opponents his division has to offer.

19. Chris Lytle

MMA Record: 30-18-5

Age: 36

After winning his fourth straight fight in a decision against Matt Serra, Chris Lytle was looking to become a welterweight contender as he prepared for a fight against Carlos Condit.

However, Condit was forced to withdraw from that fight, which led Lytle to accept a last-minute switch of opponent. Lytle went on to lose against Brian Ebersole in a massive upset.

18. Jorge Rivera

MMA Record: 19-8

Age: 39

Jorge Rivera will turn 40-years-old in February 2012, but he remains a legitimate gatekeeper in the UFC's middleweight division.

Prior to his recent loss against Michael Bisping, Rivera had won three straight fights. A win over Alessio Sakara at UFC 133 would further solidify Rivera as one of the best fighters over the age of 35 in the sport.

17. Michihiro Omigawa

MMA Record: 12-10-1

Age: 35

Prior to getting his second chance with the UFC, Michihiro Omigawa had won eight of his last nine fights.

In his first fight back in the Octagon, Omigawa took on featherweight contender Chad Mendes. Although Omigawa lost this fight, he was able to display some excellent takedown defense against one of the best wrestlers in the division.

In his most recent fight against Darren Elkins, Omigawa was involved in what is widely regarded as one of the worst decisions in recent memory.

16. Mike Pyle

MMA Record: 21-7-1

Age: 35

Approaching 36-years-old, Mike Pyle is making at late-career run at becoming a serious contender in the UFC's welterweight division.

Pyle has defeated Ricardo Almeida, John Hathaway and Jesse Lennox in his last three fights, which has set him up for a very important bout with rising star Rory MacDonald.

15. Mirko Filipovic

MMA Record: 27-9-2, 1 NC

Age: 36

After losing his last two fights, Mirko Filipovic was nearly run out of the UFC. However, UFC President Dana White has decided to give the Croatian kickboxer one last hoorah.

In what could very well be the final fight of his career, Filipovic has been penciled in against Roy Nelson at UFC 137.

14. Cheick Kongo

MMA Record: 16-6-2

Age: 36

After losing back-to-back fights against Cain Velasquez and Frank Mir, it appeared that Cheick Kongo's UFC career could be in jeopardy.

However, the Frenchman has rebounded to go undefeated in his last three fights, which culminated in a knockout win over Pat Barry, perhaps the most impressive come-from-behind victory in UFC history.

13. Vladimir Matyushenko

MMA Record: 26-5

Age: 40

Vladimir Matyushenko hit 40-years-old earlier this year, but that hasn't slowed "The Janitor" down. In April, Matyushenko scored a 20 second knockout of Jason Brilz.

Now, Matyushenko will have a chance to continue inching his way toward the light heavyweight division's top 10 in a UFC 133 bout against Alexander Gustafsson. 

12. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

MMA Record: 19-5

Age: 35

Nearing a UFC 133 fight with Rich Franklin, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira turned 35-years-old last month.

Having lost his last two fights, Nogueira may be in need of a victory in this fight if he wants to keep his UFC career alive.

11. Yoshihiro Akiyama

MMA Record: 13-3, 2 NC

Age: 35

Yoshihiro Akiyama has lost his last two fights, but three straight Fight of the Night performances shows how competitive the Japanese fighter remains.

Akiyama will turn 36-years-old days before his upcoming UFC 133 fight against Vitor Belfort. As entertaining as Akiyama has been in the UFC, this could be a must-win fight.

10. Wanderlei Silva

MMA Record: 33-11-1, 1 NC

Age: 35

Wanderlei Silva turned 35-years-old the day after a knockout loss to Chris Leben at UFC 132. The loss prompted many to call for "The Axe Murderer" to retire.

However, Silva has not made anything official regarding the end of his career. Afterall, many considered Silva a middleweight contender heading into the fight with Leben, as he had defeated Michael Bisping in his previous fight.

9. Matt Hughes

MMA Record: 45-8

Age: 37

Consecutive victories over Matt Serra, Renzo Gracie and Ricardo Almeida had people considering for UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes as a serious contender once again.

However, Hughes was then knocked out in the final fight of his trilogy with B.J. Penn. Now, Hughes' career could be on the line in a fight against Diego Sanchez at UFC 135.

8. Sean Sherk

MMA Record: 36-4-1

Age: 37

After defeating Evan Dunham in a narrow decision, Sean Sherk has lost most of his momentum by sitting out for what will likely be more than a year to rehab injuries.

Sherk is still capable of giving any lightweight a tough fight, but he will turn 38-years-old early next month, so time is running out for the former UFC champion to make an unlikely run at another title.

7. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

MMA Record: 32-6-1, 1 NC

Age: 35

After hitting 35-years-old last month, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is readying himself for a fight against the up-and-coming Brendan Schaub at UFC 134.

Nogueira has been inactive since February 2010, when he lost to current UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez.

6. Roy Nelson

MMA Record: 15-6

Age: 35

Back-to-back losses against Junior Dos Santos and Frank Mir have made it pretty clear that Roy Nelson will never be a serious threat to win the UFC Hevayweight Championship.

However, Nelson does still have the ability to move forward as one of the division's premier gatekeepers, which is nothing to be ashamed of after turning 35-years-old less than a month ago.

5. Rich Franklin

MMA Record: 28-6, 1 NC

Age: 36

Rich Franklin has alternated wins and losses for the last three years, but he has fought elite competition every time he has stepped into the Octagon.

After losing to Forrest Griffin in his last fight, Franklin will look to continue his pattern of wins and losses against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 133.

4. Dan Henderson

MMA Record: 27-8

Age: 40

Since a disappointing loss to Jake Shields in his Strikeforce debut, Dan Henderson has finished Renato Sobral and Rafael Cavalcante to become the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion.

With few legitimate challengers available, Henderson will now meet Fedor Emelianenko in a battle between two legends of the sport. A win against Emelianenko will further cement Henderson's legacy as one of the best fighters in the history of the sport.

3. Shane Carwin

MMA Record: 12-2

Age: 36

Despite nearly defeating Brock Lesnar to claim the UFC Heavyweight Championship, Shane Carwin has now lost two fights in a row and his time is running out to become an undisputed champion.

Although he lost, Carwin's last fight against Junior Dos Santos laid to rest any doubts that Carwin had enough gas in the tank to go a full three rounds.

2. Kenny Florian

MMA Record: 15-5

Age: 35

Just prior to his most recent fight against Diego Nunes, Kenny Florian reached the age of 35.

Florian went on to win that fight in what could be his final run at capturing a UFC belt, which has eluded him for more than six years with the organization.

Up next for Florian is a shot at UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo.

1. Anderson Silva

MMA Record: 30-4

Age: 36

In a runaway, Anderson Silva takes the top spot on this list of fighters over the age of 35.

Silva is the only UFC champion currently older than 35-years-old and he remains the most dominant champion in the organization. In his next fight, Silva will look to continue his run of dominance when he attempts to avenge his last loss against Yushin Okami.

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter here.