What 107 professional MMA fighters actually ate before and after weigh-in

By Tarun Sai LomteReviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc.Sep 3 2026

A detailed look at what professional fighters eat and drink across the critical hours from their final weight cut through post-weigh-in recovery reveals striking shifts in how they prepare for competition.

Study: Weigh-In to Fight Night: Dietary Strategies of Professional MMA Fighters. Image Credit: Parilov / Shutterstock

In a recent study published in the journal Nutrients, researchers examined the dietary intake of mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters before and after weigh-in and on fight day.

Professional MMA commonly involves a cycle of rapid weight loss (RWL) before the official weigh-in, followed by rapid weight gain (RWG) in the 24–36 hours before the competition. Higher body mass after weigh-in is believed to confer benefits in strength, power, and leverage, although evidence is inconsistent. Some reports indicate that winners exhibit higher RWG than losers, whereas others have not found an association between body mass regain and fight outcome.

Few studies have investigated what these athletes actually consume during the weight-loss and -regain phases. Existing research has identified common manipulation strategies, including fluid manipulation, carbohydrate restriction, and sodium restriction. However, there is little information on the specific food choices athletes make for RWL and RWG. Characterizing food and beverage intake before and after weigh-in may illuminate how combat athletes translate these strategies into practice.

About the study

In the present study, researchers characterized the dietary intake of MMA athletes before and after weigh-in and on fight day. Participants were professional MMA fighters competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) across distinct weight classes. Participants completed a survey reporting dietary intake across three phases.

The pre-weigh-in phase represented dietary intake over the 24 hours before the official weigh-in. The post-weigh-in phase covered intake following the official weigh-in through the remainder of weigh-in day. The fight-day phase represented dietary intake on the day of competition. Food data were entered into a nutrition database to estimate intakes of macronutrients, fluids, total energy, sodium, and dietary fiber.

Food intake was stratified into seven food groups: simple carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates, fat, protein, fruit, vegetables, and supplements. The number of food items reported in each group was then quantified. These counts represented food-item occurrences rather than the total amount of each nutrient consumed. Linear mixed-effects models were used to investigate within-person changes in nutrient, energy, and fluid intake across phases. Analyses of variance were conducted to assess weight-class differences in pre-weigh-in intake.

Findings

The study included 107 MMA fighters, predominantly male (86%), across eight weight classes, with an average age of 31 years. Protein, fat, fruit, and simple carbohydrates were the most frequently reported food categories pre-weigh-in, with no food items classified as vegetables or supplements. Complex carbohydrates were reported only minimally.

Complex carbohydrates were the most reported post-weigh-in food category, followed by protein, simple carbohydrates, fruit, and supplements, whereas no reported items were classified as vegetables or fat. Energy intake differed significantly across all three phases, averaging 1,751 kcal before weigh-in, 2,501 kcal after weigh-in, and 1,985 kcal on fight day.

There was an increase in carbohydrate consumption from pre-weigh-in (55.1 g) to post-weigh-in (345.9 g), followed by a decrease on fight day (278 g), with each phase differing significantly from the others. The highest fat intake was recorded before weigh-in (137 g). Fat intake decreased significantly to 56.5 g and 49.4 g after weigh-in and on fight day, respectively, with no significant differences between these two phases.

Protein intake before weigh-in was significantly lower (75.9 g) than after weigh-in (104 g) and on fight day (99.2 g), with no significant differences between the latter phases. Dietary fiber intake also changed significantly across phases, increasing from before weigh-in (4.53 g) to after weigh-in (17 g), then decreasing on fight day (13.9 g). Among the two phases for which these measures were available, sodium and water intakes increased sevenfold and sixfold, respectively, from before to after weigh-in.

During the pre-weigh-in period, water, fat, energy, and protein intakes differed significantly by weight class. Specifically, fighters in the Light Heavyweight class had significantly higher intake of fat, protein, energy, and water than those in other classes. Middleweight fighters had significantly higher energy intake than Welterweight, Bantamweight, Strawweight, and Flyweight fighters and also had higher protein and fat intake than several lighter divisions. Dietary fiber, sodium, and carbohydrate intakes showed no differences by weight class.

Conclusions

In summary, the findings illustrate highly structured, phase-based dietary patterns among MMA fighters, consistent with rapid weight-loss strategies before weigh-ins and recovery-focused nutrition afterward. Weight reduction involved manipulating fat, fluid, fiber, and carbohydrate intake. Post-weigh-in recovery focused on restoring electrolytes, fluid, and carbohydrates. 

Overall, the study comprehensively characterized nutrient intake, fluid consumption, and food selection of MMA fighters from before weigh-in to fight day. However, dietary intake was retrospectively self-reported, and the researchers did not directly measure actual weight loss or regain, hydration status, or glycogen stores. The predominantly male sample also limits generalizability to female fighters.