Does MMA have an older age limit that a guy can still be in his prime?
Many things have happened in the last year that have made the obvious to me, but one of the most obvious was Wonderboys incredible performance this weekend.
Now down get me wrong Wonderboy is not an old man by any stretch of the imagination but at 33 he just made the transformation from prospect to division elite in one of most beautiful coming out parties we've ever seen.
Couple this with what we've seen with guys like Werdum, Lawler, Hunt, Romero, Arlovski, Rothwell, and even DC (whos no spring chicken). All these guys are well into their 30's many have been in the game for years, and yet they look better then ever right now.
This isn't a new thing either UFC legends Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson, and even Matt Hughes to a lesser extent saw their best years well after what would be considered way past ones athletic prime.
To me all the evidence is there, and it suggests that usually elite MMA fighters experience their best years between 31 and 38.
Is there a reason for this? 
An old warrior is usually an experienced warrior. If his body is still functioning near to optimum levels then the experience is the differential.
Expect to see less examples of this in the new world...
I dunno. At heavyweight sure. But look at GSP, Jon Jones, Aldo, Shoguns ages when they won their titles. Look at Rampage, Miguel Torres, Wanderlei as they got older. 
If it were strictly an issue of technical ability, the old guys would have it.
They'd continue to develop masterful timing and distancing; they'd have well-honed tactics woven into a superior strategy.
The problem is that the game has shifted to one where athleticism is a greater priority than skillset. And with time limits and judges decisions, it's hard to overcome a vast defecit in speed, strength, explosiveness, and endurance.
This is why MMA doesn't have its Nolan Ryans and Michael Jordans...the elder statesmen who can go out on top of the game because they have evolved. The only way around it would be to have an Over 40 Division.
Now I've always said that I'd love to watch a "Legends" Division, but I'm coming to realize I'm probably wrong.
My heart says it would be amazing! We could see all the matchups we never saw, with Randy Couture, Maurice Smith, Bas Rutten, Chuck Liddell, Pat Miletich, Carlos Newton, Kazushi Sakuraba...the list goes on forever.
But my head says it would be too hard to watch. Even in Couture's last fights, I was wincing with the thought of seeing him KOed yet again, because he isn't as quick to bounce back up as he once was. And you start to realize that these fighters aren't the invincible superheroes they appear to be in their youth -- that these are older athletes, whose bodies have been abused by years of training and competing, and that they were smart to throw in the towel when they did.