UFC’s current men’s champions are the oldest group of titleholders in company history, according to age figures circulating on social media. Seven of the eight are between 33 and 38 years old.
Flyweight champion Joshua Van, 24, is the only exception. With Van included, the eight champions average 34.0 years old. Without him, the average climbs to 35.4.
Petr Yan (bantamweight) is 33 and Islam Makhachev (welterweight) is 34. Sean Strickland (middleweight) and Carlos Ulberg (light heavyweight) are both 35, while Ciryl Gane (heavyweight) is 36 and Justin Gaethje (lightweight) is 37. Alexander Volkanovski (featherweight) turned 38 on Sept. 29.
Gane officially took over as heavyweight champion this month, and Strickland says a rematch with Nassourdine Imavov is “almost there.” The figures cover the eight men’s divisions.
Most of the group will add a year soon. Van turns 25 on Oct. 10, Makhachev turns 35 on Oct. 27 and Gaethje turns 38 on Nov. 14.
Not long ago, 35 was treated as a critical age threshold for fighters. Five of the eight champions are already past it, and Makhachev joins them this month.
