Oldest fighters to compete professionally

Talking about sanctioned pro bouts.

1. Albert Howard Robert "Al Bob" Hughes, Jr. - 70 years old at time he last fought,
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2. "Sweet" Saoul Paul Mamby - 60 years, nine months old at time he last fought,
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3. Oliver William "The Atomic Bull" McCall - 59 years, ten months old tonight,
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4. Stephen "The Legend" Ward (Nottinghamshire) - 59½ years old at time he last fought,
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5. Michael Gerard "Kid Dynamite" Tyson - 58 years, five months old at time he last fought,
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Sixth is journeywoman Rebecca Light, who made her pro debut at 52½ and embarked on a 1-10 campaign - finishing in 2023 with

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at the age of 57½.

Also in 2023, seventh-place Roy Levesta "Captain Hook" Jones, Jr. fought debuting MMA crossover Anthony Pettis and

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at the age of 54 years and 4½ months.

* Ward later would compete in a "World Legends Championship" bout at the age of 64, claiming the inaugural WLC cruiserweight world title ...but this is a semi-pro league restricted to men 50-and-up, so, doesn't count.


McCall wants to bang on until the 40th anniversary of his pro debut in November of 1985. That would put him very close to surpassing Mamby as #2 all-time.

 

Razor's last officially sanctioned bout was against Dillon Carman,

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at the age of 51 years and ten months.

His exhibition with Toney was in November of 2023, a month shy of Ruddock's sixtieth birthday. Toney was 55.

 

Fight would've humped in '99/2000.

 

Had just turned 50 a few months before he last fought.

 

Bozella was 52 the year he won an ESPY and made his pro debut on a B-Hop undercard. He may at that particular time have been the oldest debutant (believe he was reported as such in any event) but that record was later broken multiple times, first by the aforementioned Rebecca Light and most recently by 58 year old Scot England who got stopped in under a minute by Jashawn Hunter in 2023. England is, afaik, the current record holder. Bozella is now 3rd oldest at most.

 

I'm a huge fan of Arslan: his longevity is commendable. 54, though, mightn't even crack a top 15-20 at this point. Especially with the other example you brought to light, Brad Ekstrom.

I made it a top 5 thread and included RJJ as honorable mention but Ekstrom does indeed have Jones beat. There might be some other 54 and 55 year olds, but late fifties is rarified air.

Certainly nobody is catching up Al Bob Hughes anytime soon. That is just an insane age to be fighting, and the small detail that he scored a knockout is the craziest damn thing of all.