UFC superstar Michael Chandler is slated to face former two-division champion Conor McGregor later this year. In a recent video uploaded on YouTube, Chandler shared his diet and training routine while giving a look into his fridge and home gym.
Top five ranked UFC lightweight Michael Chandler started his journey as a professional mixed martial artist in Aug. 2009. Chandler’s potential was clear from the start after he competed twice under Strikeforce. He drew the attention of Bellator MMA and joined the promotion in Sep. 2010. He racked up an impressive nine-fight win streak, becoming the lightweight champion in the process and defeating the likes of former UFC champion Eddie Alvarez, and former Bellator champ Patricky Freire.
Chandler developed a reputation for being a brawler and putting on entertaining fights for the fans. After spending a decade with Bellator, Chandler finally signed with the UFC in Sep. 2020. There was a lot of anticipation going into his debut to see how he would fare against the most elite competitors in the game.
He got off to a successful start and scored a quick knockout victory over Dan Hooker at UFC 257 in Jan. 2021. His next outing would be for the gold against Charles Oliveira, who dispatched him in the second round of an action-packed affair. Chandler dropped his next contest to Justin Gaethje and received a ton of recognition for putting on another instant classic that earned performance bonuses.
Chandler’s stock continued rising after he brutally knocked out Tony Ferguson with a vicious front kick at UFC 274 in May. The finish cemented his status as one of the most exciting fighters in the promotion. He was last seen in action against fellow fan favorite Dustin Poirier in another barnburner at UFC 281 last November. Chandler put in an impressive performance but dropped the bout by submission.
Besides his insane athleticism, Chandler boasts a ripped physique with a shredded midsection, high levels of overall muscle mass, and low body fat.
UFC star Michael Chandler shares his diet philosophy
In a recent YouTube video, Michael Chandler shared the items he likes to keep in his fridge. He avoids all junk food and sticks to a strict high-protein diet.
“I always have meat and vegetables in my fridge,” said Chandler. “Ground elk, ground beef, free-range eggs, salmon, kram (on-the-go PB & J), megafit meals during training camp. For vegetables, we got spinach, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, and beets.”
“The night before the fight I like to keep it pretty much the same as I’ve been eating all camp; high protein, high fat, maybe a bit of sweet potato, rice, or gluten-free pasta but nothing too heavy because my body won’t be used to that for the entire camp.”
“I am not a big breakfast guy these days but if I have it, I am doing four to six eggs scrambled with some vegetables and maybe some bacon with coconut sriracha.”
Chandler revealed pizza as the choice of food he opts for when it’s time for a cheat meal. He doesn’t eat as many carbs as he did before and follows a diet full of meats and fats with some vegetables and fruits.
“When I’m strained off and need to feel like a normal human being and eat some regular food for a second, it’s definitely pizza.”
“For protein shakes, I prefer chocolate. It’s gotta have a frozen banana in it, some frozen fruits, goji berries, spirulina. I like crushed nuts in it too.”
“I don’t eat a lot of carbs anymore. I used to eat bread and pasta and all. Now I eat a lot of meat and fats.”
Michael Chandler talked about the importance of taking the right supplements and laid out the beverages he likes to consume.
“Multivitamins, micronutrients, minerals, electrolytes numerous times a day, especially first thing in the morning. Chug your electrolytes in cold water before coffee.”
“I take a nice big espresso coffee, add a doppio espresso to it, big old scoop of coconut oil, and a non-dairy creamer.”
“We love carbonated and bubbly waters. Gotta have the zero-sugar Monsters. Kombucha. Dark chocolate, cold-brew.”
Chandler shares his training routine
‘Iron’ Mike opened up on his training schedule and the type of workouts he likes to utilize for staying fight-ready.
“I’m training MMA every single day,” continued Chandler. “Monday and Tuesday I do MMA stuff, Wednesday I’ll do strength and conditioning, Thursday night we do individual MMA stuff, and then Friday afternoon a strength workout.”
“I do a lot of strength plus speed equals power where we’re lifting weights, taking them off, and then doing something explosive to create power. When I first started lifting weights, I focused on static strength movements to get stronger. Now that I’m a mature lifter, I focus a lot more now on functional movements, fast, powerful, explosive movements.”
“Make sure you have a roller and use it everyday.”
Michael Chandler will serve as a coach opposite Conor McGregor on The Ultimate Fighter 31, set for release on May 30. The pair are scheduled to clash inside the octagon at some point later this year.
You can watch the full video below.
Related: How many calories do you burn doing martial arts?
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.