Depending on the amount of weight shed, a weight cut can be extremely draining for a fighter, making it all the more important to fuel up with the proper food after they hit the scale.
The food and drink you see or hear of a fighter eating following their weigh-in is not a randomly chosen assortment of food. Each fighter knows what’s best to help their body refuel before fight time, and most will have specific reasons behind what they choose to eat.
Here are the favourite post weigh-in meals of 10 MMA fighters from Western Canada.
Samson Bieri: Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
“Nothing like a good teriyaki chicken bowl after a weigh-in. They taste great, they aren’t too heavy, and you can get them just about anywhere.”
Shawna Ram: Coach’s Choice
“There is a science behind my coach’s calculations of what I can eat. It’s not just weigh in and eat as much as I want and whatever I want like pasta and potatoes. There is not really that much joy in my post weigh-in meals.”
Dejan Kajic: Assortment
“After my weigh-ins, I have my liquids, of course, and I eat a bunch of nuts, avocado, a little chocolate, a big salad and some carbs, usually sweet potatoes and chicken or fish. I used to have a slice of pizza and some dark chocolate almonds, but now I save all that for after my fight.”
Cole Smith: Greek Food
“There’s lots of potatoes, rice and carbs, so I enjoy that.”
Usman Khattak: Pasta and Salmon
“I like to have pasta and salmon as a post weigh-in meal, usually an hour or two after I’ve rehydrated myself with fluids. I like this meal because it’s got everything I really need to give me back my energy and strength. Carbs and protein are the important key nutrients to have in your meal post weigh-in, especially after cutting a lot of weight. I also like to snack on dates and figs throughout the day. They are really good for your health.
Spencer Rohovie: Same Food From Last Six Weeks
“I don’t believe in shocking my body with a ton of carbs when that’s not what it’s accustomed to. I do like sushi though.”
Jesse Bull: Steak, Prawns, Vegetables and Potato Fries
“I’ve been going for this ever since I started fighting. It’s one of my favourite plates. I’m basically just going big for taste!”
Terrence Chan: Pho With Beef
“I generally keep it pretty simple after a weigh-in because I’ll have to fight in 24 hours. At that point, I’m not really eating for pleasure, just putting in fuel to optimize my performance. So, mostly simple carbs to replenish glycogen, and leaner cuts of meat because I find it easier to digest. Also, I usually add a lot of salt. Something like pho with beef works pretty well because it’s high carbs, lean meat, and the broth is usually salty. Steak and sweet potatoes is another one I go to.”
Adam Lorenz: Normal Meal (Chicken and Potatoes)
“I find the ‘normal’ meal sits with my stomach better, however, it kind of ruins the opportunity to satisfy that immense craving with something delicious, as by the time I get to junk food I’ve already been eating normal for more than a day lol!”
Kody Smith: Pasta
“It was what I ate my first fight, so it’s kind of a ritual. After my fight, I get a bacon cheeseburger from The Cat and Fiddle because they hook me up fat lol.”
