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Ian Machado Garry, also known as “The Future,” has said that he “wouldn’t be in the position I am right now” if he didn’t adopt a vegan diet.
The Irish mixed martial artist is currently signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and has won 17 of 19 professional MMA fights so far.
Read more: Champion Judo And Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Says He’s ‘Vegan For The Animals’
Despite his successful professional debut five years ago, 28-year-old Machado Garry struggled with bugs and infections while cutting weight for his fights, which he chalked up to a depleted immune system. As reported by BBC Sport, that was when Machado Garry decided to adopt a fully plant-based vegan diet.
“If I didn’t go vegan, I wouldn’t be in the position I am right now – one million per cent,” Machado Garry said. “Because I saw the negative effects that my diet was having towards my weight cutting and my fighting. I kept consistently getting sick.”
Machado Garry told the BBC that meat was harder for his body to digest, whereas eating plant-based foods has led to improvements in both his rest and recovery.
“I don’t think I would have been able to fight [Carlos] Prates and [Shavkat] Rakhmonov on seven days’ notice before,” Machado Garry added. “My weight management since I’ve been vegan has been amazing. My recovery, my rest, my output, my training has been second to none. So I’ve been able to take short-notice fights to put myself in a position to beat the best guys in the world.”
‘Now, I’m on another level’
Machado Garry recently appeared in a new PETA campaign video, in which he said, “Every fighter wants to be the best. For me, it starts with what I put in my body. Before I was plant-based, I was strong. But now, I’m on another level. Because strength isn’t just power. It’s clarity. Endurance. Discipline. I’m not just fighting opponents. I’m fighting limits to be the best version of me and the best athlete out there.”
Read more: ‘Veganism Is A Fight For A More Just World,’ Says Vegan MMA Fighter
‘Veganism for me is a fight for a more just world’
Machado Garry is not the only athlete, or MMA fighter, to advocate for the benefits of a plant-based diet. Ahmed Labban first adopted a vegan diet in 2023 after contemplating the decision for several years. He has said that he believes going vegan has positively affected his energy levels, performance, and recovery.
As reported by Index.hr, the Lebanese athlete said, “For me, strength does not mean the ability to hurt those weaker than us. Quite the opposite: if we are strong, we have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable. Animals feel pain and fear and want to live just like us. That’s why veganism for me is a fight for a more just world.”
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