Are there any martial artists who started later in life and went on to become champions?

Yes, there are several martial artists, particularly in MMA, who started their careers later in life and went on to become champions or achieve significant success:

1. Randy Couture: Couture began his MMA career at the age of 33 and became one of the most successful fighters in UFC history, winning multiple championships in both the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions13.

2. Glover Teixeira: Teixeira started his MMA training in his late 20s and became the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion at UFC 267, making him one of the oldest first-time champions in UFC history1.

3. Yoel Romero: Romero transitioned to MMA at 32 years old after a successful wrestling career, including an Olympic silver medal. He became a UFC interim middleweight champion13.

4. Dan Henderson: Henderson started MMA at 29 and won titles in multiple organizations, including Pride and Strikeforce1.

5. Francis Ngannou: Ngannou began MMA training in his mid-20s and became the UFC Heavyweight Champion, known for his knockout power15.

6. Alex Pereira: Pereira transitioned to MMA in his 30s after a successful kickboxing career and briefly held the UFC Middleweight Championship5.