I’m sure many of you have heard of the saying, “Old age and cunning beats youth and experience”, but is this true? Can an older, more experienced fighter with years of competition under his belt triumph over a younger, skilled fighter who is still making a name for themselves and has only a few matches to their name?
This debate rages in many sports and I usually find that there are two arguments:
On the one side, we have the old heads who stand vehemently by their elder statesman. They have no doubt that the experience of the older fighter will allow them to make up for their declining agility, athleticism and staying power. They will ultimately be able to show the young pup how to fight.
On the other side, we have the new blood who respect the experience of the older fighter, but are convinced that the power, agility and stamina of the younger fighter will simply prove too much. Sure, the experienced fighter might land a few well-timed moves, but in the end, their body and age will let them down.
In the below article, I dissect this argument and try to see if there is a clear winner!
Different fighting factors and how they differ for older/younger fighters
This argument can’t be resolved with a simple yes or no answer. If you want to use this info for sports betting, or placing wagers on MMA fighters in upcoming bouts, you need to understand the various factors involved. For example, you might want to place a wager on an older fighter because you feel their experience is the deciding factor. However, you may have overlooked the skill level and physical condition of the younger fighter. By looking at these various factors, you can make more accurate wagers and we can also find an answer to our argument!
Experience
The number of fights combatants have fought undoubtedly plays a role. Just look at fighters like Randy Couture who continued to have great success into their 40s and beyond. Experience matters. The more fights you have fought, the more moves, gameplans and tactics you see. This, in turn, means you can adapt more easily and deal with a range of different situations.
This is where younger, skilled fighters may struggle. For example, if you put a young fighter in their debut MMA bout against an experienced combatant who has five or more years of MMA experience, then 9/10 times the experienced fighter wins. However, as we see below, other factors play a role in this.
Skill level
The skill level of each fighter is pivotal in this argument. What happens if you place an older fighter, who has fought multiple bouts but lacks technical skill against a younger combatant who is naturally gifted and a technically adept fighter?
Oftentimes the younger fighter will dominate the older opponent despite their perceived greater experience. Someone can have years of experience, but if they still can’t execute a takedown, properly defend themselves or land a well-timed punch, they are going to lose to an inexperienced fighter who has fighting prowess.
Physical condition
The physical condition of the combatants is incredibly important. For instance, if you have a young, skilled fighter at the peak of their physical condition against an older, experienced fighter who isn’t in top shape, this will often mean the younger fighter wins through pure physicality and endurance.
No matter how experienced you are, if your opponent doesn’t wear down and continues to come at you with ferocious speed and endurance, you’re going to have a problem.
Adaptability
Adapting to different situations is key to combat sports like MMA and boxing. You need to be able to adapt to what your opponent is doing, including how they are fighting and the decisions they make. This can be key to unravelling their fighting plan and finding a way to beat them.
Adaptability can work for both younger and more experienced fighters. For example, when we are younger, our brains process data faster, and we have an improved capacity to learn on the fly and pick things up quickly. This can allow younger fighters to quickly adapt to the older opponent’s fighting style.
In contrast, experienced fighters have years of knowledge to draw from. They have seen it all and can often predict how a fight will go and what will happen. This can allow them to make up for their slower mental processing power and still adapt to the younger fighter’s gameplan.
Drive
Oftentimes, matchups between youthful fighters and older opponents are determined by the drive of each individual. Depending on how far the older fighter is into their career, they simply might not have the same passion for the sport anymore. Nor may they have the determination to really push through with the bout.
If they come up against a younger fighter, full of passion, drive and a lust to prove themselves, it could be deadly. The younger fighter may simply want it more, and thus be pushed to perform at greater heights and overcome the limitations of their inexperience.
It depends on the individual fighters and their approach
I hope you have found this article useful, and you have gained some insight into the experience versus youth argument. It’s a tricky one for sure and when researching this article, I was surprised at how varied the results can be. Truly, we cannot definitively say that experience always triumphs, or that the vigor of youth will prevail.
Instead, as always, it comes down to the individual matchups, the condition of the combatants and their mentality. For example, you could have a boxing match where the younger fighter simply overpowers and outlasts the older opponent. In contrast, you could have an MMA fight where the experienced fighter uses their knowledge to catch the younger opponent off guard in the opening seconds to land a knockout punch.
This is what makes combat sports so exciting! Despite what we think, and what the pundits say, we never know what will happen until the action unfolds!
