Matt Hamill is a beast of a light heavyweight in the UFC’s stacked 205 lbs. division, but he quickly dismisses age being as major a factor in performance as some are making it out to be with such stars as Wandy, Nogueira, etc.

MMA Fanhouse: You’re 32 years old. Two other guys who fought at UFC 92, Wanderlei Silva and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, are also 32 years old, and after their losses, a lot of people were saying those two are clearly past their primes. Is 32 old for a fighter, or is it more about how many fights you’ve had? With only seven pro fights on your record, are you a young 32?

Matt Hamill: Everyone is different, those guys are legends and have tons of fights. I only have nine. I listen to my body, my heart is young and I have plenty of juice when I fight. Look at Randy Couture, he is doing quite well.

He’s right to point out that Couture, now well over 40, still competes at a very high level. With the losses at UFC 92, where Hamill scored a TKO victory over Reese Andy, former PRIDE fighters The Axe Murderer and Minotauro have raised questions about the unstoppable aging process.

It’s important to remember that is not age alone which can slow a fighter’s career, but the intensity of previous matches over the years. Both Wandy and Nog have been in all out wars time and time again, but even this is not support enough for the argument that MMA athletes “expire” at 30+ and should hang ‘em up while purchasing Geritol in bulk. Your thoughts?