I don't know whether this topic has been discussed here before... but it's a question I've always had. It seems the lower the weight class, the sooner age becomes a factor. Looking at Chocolatito's upcoming fight made me think of that again. He's 33 now, which is total peak for middleweights and above. But at lightweight and below... is it still peak?

I would guess speed and reflexes are the key. The lighter guys need a ton of speed and cat-like reflexes to survive at the elite level. When you have one that hits as hard as Chocolatito... it adds another dimension. Meanwhile at heavyweight... you can have lumbering guys whose punches can be timed with an egg timer. Power, chin, and ring savvy count a lot more than speed at that level, I would guess.

What would people consider to be the peak age periods for the different weight classes?

(This question doesn't take into account off-the-curve fighters who have been in frequent wars and are overly worn for their age. Just the typical fighter).