Former World`s Strongest Man Eddie Hall adopted a carnivore diet to successfully lose weight for his upcoming MMA debut next week.
Hall, who won the World’s Strongest Man competition in 2017, is set to face Mariusz Pudzianowski, a five-time champion, at KSW 105 in Poland on April 26. He is expected to weigh in around 341lb for the fight.
While Hall has previous combat sports experience, including a boxing match and a `freak fight` MMA event, this upcoming bout marks his first professional MMA fight after two years of dedicated training.
Carnivore Diet Key to Eddie Hall`s Weight Loss for MMA
To prepare for his MMA debut, Eddie Hall followed a strict carnivore diet, focusing solely on meat, eggs, and dairy. This diet, while controversial, has been effective for his weight loss goals.
Hall started his diet at 170kg (374lb) and aims to fight at 155kg (341lb). In an interview, he mentioned that the carnivore diet, consisting of only meat, eggs, and dairy, has been crucial for his fight preparation.
“The carnivore diet has been very effective, helping me maintain muscle mass while losing body fat. My energy levels and endurance have significantly improved,” Hall stated.
He added, “I haven`t restricted quantities, eating as much meat, eggs, and dairy as I need. This approach has naturally reduced my body fat. I started at 170kg and am currently at 158kg, with potential for further weight loss to reach my target of 155-156kg.”
“My focus is on fitness and cardio for the fight, not just weight. I need to be able to sustain four-minute rounds with short recovery periods, which I can currently do. I don’t want to lose too much weight as cardio is my priority.”
Hall Prioritizes Size and Strength in MMA Transition
Typically, athletes transitioning from strongman to combat sports like boxing or MMA lose substantial weight to enhance cardio. Hafthor Bjornsson, for instance, lost over 110lb for his fight against Hall, drastically changing his physique.
Despite losing weight from his peak strongman weight of 434lb, Hall is still considerably large and muscular at 341lb. He believes maintaining size offers an advantage in MMA.
“Strength in MMA is a significant advantage,” he explained. “Mariusz Pudzianowski demonstrated this early in his MMA career at around 140kg; his size and strength intimidated opponents.”
“I believe being stronger is always beneficial in a fight, provided you are fit enough. I`ve never heard a fighter wish they were weaker after a fight,” Hall concluded.
