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Fighters Diets
In the world of MMA, athletes are constantly seeking ways to optimize their performance, and one area that has gained significant attention is nutrition. Understanding what fuels top fighters in their grueling training camps and during fights is key to unlocking their peak potential. In this article, registered dietitian Stephanie Small breaks down several popular fighters diets, revealing both the common threads and the differences in their nutritional approaches. Whether it’s Ronda Rousey’s low-carb, intermittent fasting regimen or fighters focusing on whole, minimally processed foods, Small provides an expert’s perspective on which choices are most conducive to high performance in the octagon.
1. Conor McGregor
McGregor emphasizes a high-protein diet, focusing on lean meats like chicken and fish. He also incorporates vegetables, healthy fats like avocados, and complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes and rice. McGregor avoids processed foods and sugars. His diet is flexible, allowing for slight changes depending on his training intensity and fight preparations.
Typical Meal: Grilled chicken, quinoa, spinach, avocado, and a green smoothie.
2. Georges St-Pierre
St-Pierre is known for following the paleo diet, which focuses on whole, unprocessed foods. His meals mainly consist of grass-fed meats, organic fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats like coconut oil. He avoids grains, dairy, and processed foods.
Typical Meal: Grass-fed steak, broccoli, and sweet potatoes with a side of berries.
3. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Khabib's diet is traditional and clean, heavily influenced by his Dagestani culture. His diet includes lean meats like lamb and chicken, vegetables, and grains such as buckwheat. Khabib avoids junk food and sugary drinks, preferring water, tea, and natural juices.
Typical Meal: Grilled lamb, buckwheat, and cucumbers with tomatoes.
4. Israel Adesanya
Adesanya follows a balanced diet with a focus on whole foods. His diet includes lean meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats. He emphasizes proper hydration and avoids junk food, especially leading up to a fight.
Typical Meal: Grilled salmon, brown rice, kale, and roasted vegetables.
5. Nate Diaz
Nate Diaz, a vegan, relies on plant-based foods. His diet is rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Diaz avoids animal products entirely, but he still manages to meet his protein requirements through plant-based sources.
Typical Meal: Quinoa salad with black beans, avocado, spinach, and nuts.
6. Daniel Cormier
Cormier’s diet focuses on lean proteins and complex carbohydrates, but he has struggled with maintaining a strict diet during off-seasons. When preparing for fights, he cuts down on carbs and increases his vegetable intake while avoiding high-calorie snacks and processed foods.
Typical Meal: Grilled chicken breast, broccoli, and a baked sweet potato.
7. Ronda Rousey
Rousey follows the warrior diet, a type of intermittent fasting where she under-eats during the day and consumes most of her calories at night. Her meals include lean proteins, vegetables, healthy fats, and minimal carbohydrates.
Typical Meal: Grilled fish, a large salad with mixed greens, and olive oil dressing.
8. Jon Jones
Jon Jones has a high-protein diet that includes plenty of vegetables, complex carbs, and healthy fats. He enjoys meals with lean meats, brown rice, sweet potatoes, and broccoli, while cutting down on sugar and processed foods during training camp.
Typical Meal: Grilled chicken breast, steamed broccoli, brown rice, and an apple.
9. Francis Ngannou
Ngannou focuses on a clean diet with high protein and healthy fats to fuel his heavy training. His meals often consist of lean meats like chicken, plenty of vegetables, and complex carbohydrates to maintain his energy levels.
Typical Meal: Grilled chicken thighs, roasted sweet potatoes, and mixed vegetables.
10. Sean O'Malley
O'Malley follows a clean diet, focusing on foods that support his active lifestyle. He incorporates lean proteins, whole grains, vegetables, and healthy fats. O'Malley also uses supplements like protein shakes and recovery drinks, particularly after training sessions.
Typical Meal: Grass-fed beef, quinoa, spinach, and a side of avocado.
Registered Dietitian - Stephanie Small:
As a general overall trend, we are seeing that all of the athletes focus on consuming whole and
minimally processed foods. This does not mean your food has to be organic, grass-fed, or non-
GMO necessary, but choosing foods that do not contain additional additives or preservatives. In
most cases, more heavily processed foods contain extra sugar, saturated fats, and minimal
nutritionally value. On top of that, this makes them extremely easy to overconsume because
they are what we call hyper-palatable, or just hard to say no.
We have seen in research studies that when people are placed in a lab on two difference
occasion and are told to eat what every they want for 1 hour. On one occasion, they are
presented with minimally processed foods such as lean meats, vegetables, fruits, and whole
grains. On another, they are presented with foods that are processed such as chips, fries, baked
goods, deli meat, and candy. Both times, the people ate the same volume of food, but because
of the difference in calories in the processed foods, they consumed an extra 500 calories during
the occasion of being in front of the processed foods.
If the goal is to stay lean, then consuming foods you are less likely to overconsume, but also
provide you with the nutrients you need to perform is the best route!
From the diets listed above, I would argue that Rhonda Rousey has the least favorable for
performance. While she is an elite athlete, it is important to acknowledge that maybe her diet is
limit her only to a small degree (every ounce counts in professional sports). She chooses diet
that is low in carbs and fasting. We know that with her sport, she primarily relies on
carbohydrates, while an athlete can become “fat adapted”, it still is inferior form of energy
utilization, we can defy physiology. In order for someone to use fat as a fuel source, it requires
more oxygen, we know that this results in a higher heart rate, less power output, higher
breathing rate, and reduced time to fatigue, all of which are critically in MMA.
Similarly, while fast, we know that this also increase breakdown in the body when there is higher
rates of training. The body has a delayed response to recovery and experience less
opportunities for muscle building. Again, it can be done, but not optimal for high performing
athletes, which as been repeated again and again in the literature.
The major take-a-ways from reviewing athlete diets are to consume a whole food-based diet
with a variety of lean meat or plant-based protein, fruits and vegetables, and complex
carbohydrates.
Fight.TV & Stephanie Small Break It Down
One thing is clear: while each fighter’s diet may differ in specifics, the overall trend towards whole, minimally processed foods is crucial for sustaining the intense physical demands of MMA. The importance of balanced macronutrients and avoiding hyper-palatable, processed foods stands out as a defining feature of the top performers. While some athletes, like Ronda Rousey, may experiment with lower-carb and fasting-based diets, it’s evident that these choices come with trade-offs in endurance and recovery. Ultimately, as Small emphasizes, the key to success in combat sports nutrition lies in maintaining a whole-food-based diet that supports muscle recovery, sustained energy, and long-term performance.
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