He's 4½ years younger than me! That's just sad. We should learn the lessons both from those paying the price of years in the elite and from older hobbyists who have been far from elite but whose BJJ continues to be a positive influence on their health and overall well being.

Volume and for sure high intensity over a longtime takes its toll on lots of professional athletes in all sorts of sports.....
Although i am only almost 50 years old and never did sports on professional level, only recreational, i feel the 27 years of martial arts and 15 years of grappling today....
i tap a lot and try to train as sustainable as possible. As i am only 3 sessions a week on the mat max, the volume is pretty low and i have plenty of regeneration between the sessions. Little bit of S&C, mobility and stretching and proper warm up before the sessions are helping, too.
I thought about quitting many times, but i love to be on the mats and the benefits for me (physically + mentally) outweigh the downsides...

I've always been a "hobbyist" and my body is destroyed from Jiu Jitsu and all the other martial arts I have trained.
58 in a few months and everyday is a physical challenge.
Just going up a flight of stairs hurts like hell.
Going for an MRI in a couple of weeks (Canada takes forever) to have imaging on my right hip.
So far we know that I have degenerative osteoarthritis in my hips. Shoulders are done, cervical spine is herniated in two spots.
I have been my own worst enemy in regards to taking care of my body.

"Pain is temporary, glory is forever!"

No. I don't think so. Glory gets forgotten really quickly. Pain stays with you forever if you push too hard.

Working on the physical attributes off the mats and maintaining the body may feel boring, but it's a must. Caio always bragged about not doing any of that, outside of some cardio. Always thought he was wrong and would pay the price later.

I was pushing really hard in my 20s, just because more is always better, right? 4 years in at 27 I was feeling it and started scaling my training and focusing on quality over quantity and intensity. Best decision I ever made for my jiu-jitsu. I'm still able to hang with some really tough competitors, but I always try to maintain a safe pace. Maybe that will change soon after I hit 40. I'm already preparing for that by developing "cheating" strategies and trying to become as annoying as possible to deal with on the mats, without putting any limbs or my spine at risk.

"Pain is temporary, glory is forever!"

Is something young men say because when the glory fades we are left with memories and pain.

My body is wrecked.. 119 fights between kickboxing and MMA plus I have no idea how many grappling matches

There is a big difference being and active competitor and a hobbyist. An active to be successful has to push themselves to the edge of their capabilities.

Know that I just compete for fun it's different I just train got fun and go out there and compete when I want too,,