The 40-Year-Old Bludgeon: Silva on Longevity

Right idea, wrong country: 33-year-old Wanderlei Silva told Tatame over the weekend he has designs on competing into his 40s. “This change of [weight] class was good,” he said. “…I’m feeling pretty good about it.”

In Japan, where stars often alternate competitive fights with borderline exhibition matches, that’s a goal that could probably be realized. In the UFC, where your options are either title contention or contract termination, Silva is probably going to feel the effects of a 14-year career long before his 40th birthday. Athletes might not be so stubborn to remain in the ring past their body’s expiration date if they had a more secure idea of the orthopedic and neurological troubles that may follow them later in life. It used to be that Kazushi Sakuraba was considered the gold standard for the potential late-onset dementia: if he really has seven more years to go, Silva might catch up with him.