Is 22 too old to start fighting pro if I have never done any martial arts?

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Jon Jones didn't try MMA until he was 19, now he is arguably
best fighter in the world just a few years later

22 is a great age to start. I was a wrestler for all my life, but didn't actually pick up any form of Mixed Martial Arts until after I left high school. However, jumping in the cage is not something you take lightly, especially in this era. I'm 27 now, and have been fighting pro for some time, but I didn't take my first pro fight until I was 21 (three years in various MMA gyms before I took my first bout), and that was 6 years ago, the UFC was not nearly as popular as it is today, and fighters, were simply not as sharp as they are now.

People typically don't get in the cage anymore unless they have a clue of what they are doing. This was not the case 6 years ago. However, if you do want to fight, I would get into an MMA gym and start training hard, and find an MMA gym that trains pro (or at least amatuer fighters). Don't go to a dojo and don't go to a kung fu gym, focus on the martial arts that have proven effective in the UFC.

There are minor league pro circuits all over the country, and chances are, there is one in your home city as well. We are located in Utah, and I think at least 5 minor league pro circuits exist in just the greater salt lake city area. These are great places to have your first pro fight when the time comes to pick your first bout.

I put a pretty heavy emphasis on using the Martial Arts that have proven effective in the UFC. In my opinion, all martial arts have a place in the world, but because I fight professionally, I feel I need to be versed in the hand-to-hand combat that has proven most effective amongst professionals.

These are most typically:

Brazilian jiu-jitsu: The art of submitting your opponent through chokes and joint locks

Muay Thai: "The art of eight points", de facto striking technique of the UFC, utilizes striking with fists, feet, knees and elbows, while also utilizing clinch work

Wrestling/Judo: The art of controlling your opponent through superior positioning

There is a reason these disciplines have proven most effective at the professional MMA level. Other martial arts are okay to try, but I would stick to the martial arts that the professionals use.

Most cities have MMA gyms that train pro fighters, if you're ever in Salt Lake City, UT, I'd check out Factum CrossFit and MMA

Factum CrossFit and Mixed Martial Arts | www.factumutah.com | Jiu Jitsu | Muay Thai | MMA | CrossFit | Wrestling | Salt Lake City