Are you wondering what the average age of UFC fighters ranked in the top 15 of each weight class division is?
In this article, we’ll present the average age of UFC fighters in the top 15 of each weight class division in 2023 and compare it to 2017.
Average Age of UFC Fighters in the Top 15 of Each Weight Class
In 2023, the average age of all UFC fighters ranked in the top 15 of every weight class division is 32.3. This is a rise of 1.3 from the former average of 31 in 2017.
As of July 27, 2023, here’s the average age of the UFC fighters ranked in the top 15 of each weight class division. The Women’s Featherweight division isn’t included because there aren’t any rankings available.
From the Google Sheets document, the average age of UFC fighters in the top 15 of each weight class division are as follows.
- Flyweight: 30.3
- Bantamweight: 31.3
- Featherweight 32.2
- Lightweight: 32.75
- Welterweight: 32.1
- Middleweight: 32.9
- Light Heavyweight: 33.1
- Heavyweight: 33.4
- Women’s Strawweight: 32.9
- Women’s Flyweight: 31.3
- Women’s Bantamweight: 33
Taking these numbers, in 2023, the average age of all UFC fighters ranked in the top 15 of every weight class division is 32.3.
The age range of 30.3 to 33 is also consistent with the new UFC prime age of 30 to 35.
Except for lightweight to welterweight, the average age of UFC fighters in the men’s divisions rises as the weight does.
This is because speed is more important in the lighter divisions, power is more important as the divisions go up in weight, and fighters retain power more than speed as they age (fully explained in the linked article above).
Interesting is how the average age of UFC fighters in the top 15 of each weight class is rising.
On January 10, 2017, Bloody Elbow posted the average age of UFC fighters in each weight class division. They found the average age of a ranked UFC fighter to be 31, with the most common age being 32.
This shows in 6 years the average age of UFC fighters in the top 15 of each weight class has risen by 1.3 – with it likely to continue growing.
Also, as of July 27, 2023, the average age of the UFC champions is 33 years old, a stark contrast to the 13 youngest UFC champions of all time ranging from 23 to 25 years old.
The Bottom Line
In 2023, the average age of UFC fighters in the top 15 of each weight class is 32.3, ranging from 30.3 to 33.
This is higher than the average age of ranked UFC fighters in 2017, which was 31.
In 2023, the average age of UFC champions is 33, ranging from 29 to 36. Alexa Grasso is 29 while Jon Jones is 36.
If there continue to be swings in the average age of UFC fighters in either direction, an update will be made to this article.
