What Do UFC Fighters Eat?

UFC fighters are top-level athletes who train day in and day out as if their lives depend on it because, well, they do. The guys that fight in the UFC are training harder and longer than fitness models, bodybuilders, football players, and just about any other superior athlete you can imagine. And, as you may already know, a good diet is an important part of any rigorous training regimen. So, what do these guys eat?

Caloric Requirements

First, let's get an idea of how much food a UFC fighter has to eat to maintain their weight and keep up with their workouts. Depending on the weight of a fighter, a UFC fighter may need to eat anywhere from 2,000 to over 4,000 calories a day. Mac Danzig, a vegan fighter in the lightweight division, claims to eat roughly 2,250 calories a day when he's training. A heavyweight fighter would need to eat about double that.

Typical Diet

The truth is, there is not a typical diet that all fighters adhere to. Like I just mentioned, Mac Danzig is a vegan, so you know he's not following the same diet as most of the other fighters. Some guys, like George St. Pierre, are obsessive about what they eat and only consume what they believe are the healthiest foods available. On the other hand, some fighters, not many, but some, eat nothing but junk food because they just don't care.

Some Common Foods

So, I just explained that there is not one typical diet that most fighters adhere to, but there are a lot of foods that most of the UFC fighters probably eat. How do I know this? Because these are the foods that anyone, especially a pro trainer, with a lick of sense would have any athlete they're training eat. Let's take a look:

• Whole grains - brown rice, quinoa, oats, wheat (sometimes), barley and mixed grains.
  
• Other complex carbs - sweet potatoes and yams.
  
• Vegetables - you name it… spinach, broccoli, brussel sprouts, bean sprouts, carrots, peas, lentils and legumes (also protein)… lots of vegetables.
  
• Fruits - bananas, tomatoes, apples and berries.
  
• Healthy fats - nuts and seeds (also protein), olives, and avocado (also fruit).
  
• Lean protein - skinless chicken, egg whites, fish, and tofu and/or tempe.
  
• Supplements - protein powder, vitamins.
  

It's hard to put together a comprehensive list of exactly what UFC fighters eat because they all have their own diets that they follow, but this should give you a pretty good idea.