Unlike many top fighters, Chris Weidman isn’t obsessive or super-strict about what he eats. The 28-year-old New Yorker, whom many regard as the greatest threat to middleweight king Anderson Silva’s throne, hasn’t been forced to reform any aspect of his diet or training thanks in large part to racking up a perfect 9-0 pro record. Opponents have yet to pinpoint Weidman’s weakness inside the cage, but the Hofstra University grad recently spoke with UFC.com and revealed plenty of weakness at the dinner table.
Dude With A Sweet Tooth:
I remember in high school I would eat three things: Toasted strudels, French toast sticks and chocolate chip waffles. Amazing! Besides that I ate peanut butter and honey all day long. I literally grew up on peanut butter and honey. My mom always made us dinner and home-cooked meals. A lot of time I got yelled at because I would eat peanut butter and honey instead. I just love peanut butter.
Ethnic Grubbing:
I’m German-Irish, so my mom would cook German and Irish food to keep my dad happy. As far as Irish dishes, she would make corned beef, Irish soda bread, mashed potatoes and things like that.
Got a Jones for This These Days:
I still eat peanut butter and honey, peanut butter and bananas, all day long. That’s my thing. Very rarely do I get to eat the Toasted strudels or French toast anymore. I can’t handle it. I’ll be dead for the day. Most mornings, I eat four eggs over easy with Rye toast, with tomatoes and onions on the side. Usually I’ll go to a local deli and they hook me up.
But I love the peanut butter, man. I love peanut butter, honey and bananas. Any time I’m at home – if I’m making food myself – that’s what I’m making.
Supplements?
Not really, man, I need to do better with that. I do protein, fish oil, glucosamine, a multi-vitamin.
Daily calories:
Weidman: I usually eat five meals a day. If I get home late at night and I’m still hungry and I’m trying to be good with my diet then I’ll eat a scoop of organic peanut butter. Because there’s something in peanut butter, in the fat, that makes you feel full.
Cutting to 185:
It’s only tough when I have short notice. When I have full notice it’s not too bad at all. I eat all the way up until weigh ins pretty much. Maybe the day of the weigh in, leading up to the weigh in, I will only eat a little something. I wrestled at 197 at Hofstra.
Could you make 170 pounds if you tried?
No way, that’d be ridiculous.
Trying to pack on weight?
I try to lift every once in a while. I’ve always tried to get a (bigger) chest; it just never happened though! I have a genetic failure with my chest, I guess. Fortunately, in fighting, you don’t need a big chest. It’s more of a beach muscle thing, right?
I have a strength coach and I do those workouts two or three times a week. I also do cardio stuff, not stereotypical weightlifting.
Nutritionist?
My strength coach is actually a nutritionist, too, so he helps me with that. But for the most part I just eat healthy. I stick with the same thing. I do everything smart; I’m not slacking off, I’m work hard. So as long as I know I’m working hard in the gym the other stuff is just small.
Eat Like a New Yorker:
Bagels and pizzas are my kryptonite, man. I love having sausage, egg and cheese, salt, pepper and ketchup on a croissant in the morning. Or bagels with cream cheese, I love lox with cream cheese on an everything egg bagel. I love all that stuff.
I actually like water and I drink it a lot. I’m not a big soda guy but I’ll have a Diet Coke every once in a while for the caffeine.
Rating His Diet on a 1 to 10 scale:
I’ll give it an 8 and ½ (straight-faced). I’m working out at the same time and I feel good, so I think it’s an awesome diet. I feel good, and if you feel good, what else are you going to do?