Eddie Hall has shared details about the significant physical change he underwent in preparation for his first professional mixed martial arts fight.
The British former World`s Strongest Man is scheduled to make his professional MMA debut this Saturday night in a major bout against fellow strongman champion, Mariusz Pudzianowski, at KSW 105.
Hall previously experimented with MMA last year in an exhibition 2-on-1 fight against the Neffati brothers, resulting in a double TKO victory for Hall.
For that unconventional contest, the 37-year-old fighter weighed in slightly above 26 stone. This was three years after his boxing match against fellow strongman Hafthor Bjornsson.
During Friday morning`s weigh-in, Hall registered just under 24 stone. He explained he achieved this weight reduction by eliminating carbohydrates and following the increasingly popular Carnivore Diet.
He told Bloody Elbow: “For this fight camp, my diet has consisted exclusively of meat, eggs, and dairy on the carnivore diet.”
“It`s been quite an effective diet; it`s allowed me to keep my muscle mass while shedding body fat.”
“My energy levels are incredibly high, and my endurance is phenomenal, so that`s been the cornerstone of my diet.”
At the height of his World`s Strongest Man career, Hall weighed a staggering 31 stone, a weight maintained by consuming a massive 12,000 calories daily.
In recent years, he reduced his daily intake to 10,000 calories, and he hasn`t lowered this further specifically for the upcoming fight against Pudzianowski in Poland.
He commented: “I haven`t restricted the amount I eat at all; I simply eat meat, eggs, and dairy without limit. The body fat has melted away.”
“When I began this preparation, I was 170kg, and I`ve dropped to 158kg.”
“I might even lose a little more by being strict, which would see me fighting around 155-156kg.”
“I feel excellent, and the most critical part of my training isn`t my weight, but my overall fitness.”
“The question is, can I complete these four-minute rounds and recover within 90 seconds to go again?”
“Currently, I can confidently say yes. I have no intention of losing excessive weight because my cardiovascular condition is already where it needs to be.”
Hall is viewed as a significant underdog for the fight, largely due to Pudzianowski being a seasoned KSW veteran with nearly 16 years more experience in MMA. Pudzianowski is expected to severely test Hall`s endurance.
However, in an interview with talkSPORT, Hall maintained his confidence: “I`ve been doing the four-minute rounds. I`m not tiring out; I`m big, I`m strong.”
“To my knowledge, no fighter has ever wished they were weaker for a fight.”
“So, I have no plans to lose weight, muscle mass, or anything similar.”
“I`m capable of fighting, my lung capacity is good, and I`m content competing at this weight.”
Pudzianowski has stated his intention to push Hall to his absolute limits, issuing a warning to `The Beast`: “Eddie, you are in for a seriously tough time.”
“I will not give up easily. You know very well that I fight until the absolute end.”
“You are about to discover what true oxygen deprivation feels like. This is not boxing; this is MMA.”
