Statwell

Against opponents under 30, UFC fighters aged 35 or older have won about one bout in three

Since 2001, UFC fighters aged 35 or older won 296 of 870 bouts against opponents under 30 (34%).

34.0%Bouts won by the fighter aged 35 or older against an opponent under 30

296 of 870 · UFC bouts since 2001

In the last five years (25 Oct 2021 to 24 Oct 2026): 28.1% (88 of 313).

Wilson 95%: 31.0% to 37.2%

How this was measured

Ages on the event date from UFC Stats dates of birth. Decided UFC bouts since 2001 where one fighter was 35 or older and the other under 30, counted from the older fighter's side.

Included

  • Decided UFC bouts since 2001
  • One fighter aged 35 or older, the opponent under 30, on the day

Left out

  • Draws and no contests
  • A date of birth missing

Caveats

  • An association: the older group includes fighters past their peak, and matchmaking is not random.

How it was checked

  • Reproduced exactly by an independent re-implementation written from the definition alone (28 Oct 2026).
  • Survives the Benjamini–Hochberg correction across all 59 tested research hypotheses (q < 0.001).
  • Research catalog entry `age_35plus_vs_under30` (validated).

Sources and updates

Data as of 24 Oct 2026. Recalculated after UFC events and reviewed by an editor before any change is shown. A historical description, not a prediction for any fight.

In fight analyses

Every Statwell Pattern