A 5-Year Analysis of Age, Stature and Armspan in Mixed Martial Arts

Figures & data

Table 1. Bout winner and bout loser descriptives by year and cohort overall.

Year	n of Bouts	Winner’s Age	Loser’s Age	Winner’s Stature (cm)	Loser’s Stature (cm)	Winner’s Armspan (cm)	Loser’s Armspan (cm)	Winner’s A:S (cm∙cm^−1)	Loser’s A:S (cm∙cm^−1)
2017	439	29.5 ± 4.1*	30.7 ± 4.2*	177.6 ± 9.5	177.6 ± 9.2	181.9 ± 11.6	181.8 ± 10.8	1.024 ± 0.027	1.023 ± 0.028
2018	469	29.7 ± 4*	30.6 ± 4.3*	177.5 ± 9	177.2 ± 9.5	182.1 ± 11.3	181.7 ± 11.6	1.026 ± 0.029	1.025 ± 0.028
2019	506	29.7 ± 3.9	30.2 ± 4.2	177.6 ± 9.5	177.2 ± 9.4	182.3 ± 11.6	181.6 ± 11	1.026 ± 0.029	1.025 ± 0.028
2020	445	30.2 ± 4.1*	30.8 ± 4.1*	177.5 ± 9.9	176.8 ± 9.7	182.3 ± 12.1	181.3 ± 11.5	1.027 ± 0.028	1.025 ± 0.027
2021	370	30.3 ± 3.7*	31.1 ± 4.4*	177.3 ± 9.4	177 ± 9.6	182.3 ± 11.1	181.9 ± 11.7	1.028 ± 0.027	1.027 ± 0.03
Overall	2,229	29.8 ± 4*	30.7 ± 4.2*	177.5 ± 9.5	177.2 ± 9.5	182.2 ± 11.5	181.6 ± 11.3	1.026 ± 0.028	1.025 ± 0.028

Nb. A:S = armspan:stature; *data support bout winners being younger.

Table 2. Bout winner and bout loser descriptives by division.

Division	n of Bouts	Winner’s Age	Loser’s Age	Winner’s Stature (cm)	Loser’s Stature (cm)	Winner’s Armspan (cm)	Loser’s Armspan (cm)	Winner’s A:S (cm∙cm^−1)	Loser’s A:S (cm∙cm^−1)
Heavyweight	181	32 ± 4.5	32.9 ± 4.9	191.1 ± 4.7	190.2 ± 6.7	198.4 ± 6.6**	196.1 ± 7.7**	1.038 ± 0.025	1.031 ± 0.025
Light-heavyweight	182	30.7 ± 4.3	30.9 ± 4.3	188.7 ± 4.4	187.9 ± 4.4	195.1 ± 6.3	193.8 ± 6.5	1.034 ± 0.026	1.031 ± 0.027
Middleweight	234	29.9 ± 3.8*	31.4 ± 4.5*	184.9 ± 4	184.3 ± 4.4	191.4 ± 6.2	190.3 ± 6.3	1.036 ± 0.029	1.033 ± 0.028
Welterweight	326	30.8 ± 3.6	31.5 ± 4	182.9 ± 4	181.8 ± 4.3	186.9 ± 5.5	187.1 ± 5.5	1.027 ± 0.025	1.029 ± 0.024
Lightweight	307	29.8 ± 3.9*	30.5 ± 4*	177.5 ± 5	177.9 ± 4.9	182.3 ± 5.6	182.2 ± 5.9	1.027 ± 0.027	1.024 ± 0.027
Featherweight	258	28.9 ± 3.5*	29.7 ± 3.4*	175.4 ± 5.2	174.9 ± 4.7	180.4 ± 5.6	179.5 ± 5.6	1.029 ± 0.028	1.026 ± 0.027
Bantamweight	241	28.7 ± 3.7*	29.8 ± 4.1*	170.9 ± 4.3	170.4 ± 4.4	174.9 ± 6.4	175 ± 6.2	1.024 ± 0.029	1.028 ± 0.031
Flyweight	109	28.2 ± 3.1	28.8 ± 3.6	166.6 ± 3.8	167.2 ± 4.3	170.8 ± 5.5	170.7 ± 5.5	1.025 ± 0.025	1.021 ± 0.024
Women’s Featherweight	17	30.5 ± 2.6	30.8 ± 3.5	174.2 ± 5	172.4 ± 5.4	176.5 ± 4.5	175.9 ± 5.1	1.013 ± 0.017	1.020 ± 0.022
Women’s Bantamweight	82	30.6 ± 4.3	31.3 ± 4.9	170.1 ± 4.5	168.7 ± 3.7	172.1 ± 5.2	170.4 ± 5.3	1.012 ± 0.025	1.010 ± 0.029
Women’s Flyweight	134	29 ± 4.2	29.7 ± 4.1	166.8 ± 3.9	166.6 ± 4.1	168.8 ± 5.7	167.8 ± 6.6	1.012 ± 0.028	1.007 ± 0.031
Women’s Strawweight	138	29.1 ± 3.6	29.9 ± 3.7	161.8 ± 4.5	161.5 ± 4.9	162.2 ± 5.1	163 ± 5.4	1.003 ± 0.022***	1.010 ± 0.023***
Catchweight	20	29.1 ± 2.7	29.7 ± 4.4	175.4 ± 6.8	175.6 ± 8	181 ± 6.7	180.5 ± 8	1.032 ± 0.026	1.028 ± 0.031

Nb. A:S = armspan:stature; *data support bout winners being younger; **data support bout winners being greater; ***data support bout losers being greater.

Table 3. Age and morphological differences by division.

Division	AgeDiff (years)	StatDiff (cm)	ArmDiff (cm)	A:Sdiff (cm∙cm^−1)
Heavyweight	−0.9 ± 6.6	0.9 ± 8#	2.2 ± 9.8*	0.007 ± 0.035
Light-heavyweight	−0.2 ± 5.9#	0.8 ± 6.1	1.3 ± 8.6	0.003±.038#
Middleweight	−1.5 ± 5.5*	0.6 ± 5.9#	1.1 ± 8.6	0.003 ± 0.04#
Welterweight	−0.7 ± 5*	0.2 ± 6#	−0.2 ± 7.6#	−0.002 ± 0.034#
Lightweight	−0.8 ± 5.2*	−0.3 ± 6.4#	0.1 ± 7.8#	0.003 ± 0.038#
Featherweight	−0.8 ± 4.6*	0.5 ± 6.8#	0.9 ± 7.5	0.002 ± 0.04#
Bantamweight	−1 ± 5.3*	0.5 ± 5.9#	−0.1 ± 8.5#	−0.004 ± 0.041#
Flyweight	−0.6 ± 4.4	−0.6 ± 5.5#	0.04 ± 7.2#	0.004 ± 0.035#
Women’s Featherweight	−0.3 ± 4.1#	1.8 ± 8.3	0.6 ± 7.6*	−0.007 ± 0.033
Women’s Bantamweight	−0.6 ± 6.4#	1.4 ± 5.7	1.7 ± 7.3#	0.001 ± 0.036#
Women’s Flyweight	−0.7 ± 4.9	0.2 ± 5.7#	1 ± 8.5#	0.005 ± 0.043#
Women’s Strawweight	−0.8 ± 5	0.3 ± 6.8#	−0.8 ± 7.3#	−0.007 ± 0.033
Catchweight	−0.6 ± 6	−0.3 ± 8.1#	0.5 ± 8.9#	0.004 ± 0.05#

Nb. Data show bout winners relative to bout losers; *data statistically different to 0; #null supported of data being equivalent to 0.

Figure 1. Mean ±95% credible interval age and morphological differences between bout winners and bout losers between years.

Nb. – All plots show bout winner in comparison to bout loser; *AgeDiff statistically different to 0 in all years with the exception of 2019; No morphological variables statistically different to zero in any years; No statistically relevant morphological differences between groups or years.