Why are UFC guys so fat and why do they look so unfit?

Question

i know they train like 9 hours a day, lift a lot and do cardio like mad men but how come some of them still look so chubby and even fat?

people like gabriel gonzaga and frank mir do not look athletic at all. however, some like georges st pierre are pretty ripped?

what's up?

shouldn't your body show the results of training and your fitness?

Answer 1

Its to do with specific training, there not running marathons and the longest they will have to fight will be 3 5min rounds if it even lasts that long, the extra weight on their bodies is because they dont really do as much cardio as say a boxer would as they have to fight for much long, and the extra weight means more weight behind a punch so there is no need to get rid of it.

Hope this helps

Answer 2

you have to consider the lighter fighters and cutting weight

when you go to fight and need to weight X amount for the lighter guys they want to cut as much fat s possible and cut out a lot of water as well (water weight)

fighters like GSP look so ripped because they have to cut more then others

the result they look so ripped because they cut most all fat and dehydrate themselves

people like Mir whos a heavyweight doesn't have to worry about cutting so much

look at BJ and Sherk

Sherk has almost no body fat

BJ has some

but BJ doesn't have to dehydrate himself as much as Sherk did to make weight

you don't think those guys have muscle go find out

Answer 3

what weight class have you been watching? ya if you get up into heavyweight and light heavy weight there gonna be pretty large, its just the way there body is, if you get down in to light weights and welter weights like matt hughs  or even fether weightsl like uriah fabor there all really fit guys.

Answer 4

all the answers are pretty good, just some other points i have, almost every guy below heavywieght is pretty ripped, like someone else said most of the heavies dont have to cut so they dont look as ripped. Also for some guys its just genetics, a guy like Gonzaga is never going to look a GSP, especially when he doesnt have to cut water wieght.

Answer 5

I'd say they want to stay in heavier weight class. There's a weight where you feel comfortable and the strongest.

Answer 6

they don't do cardio and calisthenics as hard as the boxers. the work-out they show on TV are just like that, for TV.

go to a boxer's gym and MMA gym and you'll see the difference for yourself.

the energy put on arm bars and leg locks as compared to the energy spent on shadow boxing and jumping ropes is an example how these exercise affect their body's muscle/fat composition

Answer 7

Frank Mir will fluctuate being as how hes a heavyweight...

Some pictures of Mir have him ripped, whereas some others he looks a little flabby...

weight class has alot to do with it...but personal diets and training do too...

Answer 8

just cuz they have a belly doesnt mean they r fat. and the ppl u named off were HW and Pierre is WW

Answer 9

it depends on their training and their physical reaction to the training. but just because someone doesn't look strong or fast doesn't mean they aren't. muscular appearance doesn't always signify strength.

Answer 10

being ripped or buff doesnt determine if your a good fighter. skill, heart, and cardio determine if your a good fighter.

Answer 11

Training and diet are the main factors for these "fat" guys.  The above poster is right to point out that MMA matches are not endurance events, and the longest UFC matches will only last 25 minutes total (5 x 5 minute rounds).   They train on cardio for maximum heart rate, not for endurance and fat burning.  In other words they need to be able to go at maximum output for 5 minutes 5 times.  Compare that to a marathon runner or cyclist who needs to go at around 75% of max for 4 hours PLUS be able to sprint at the finish line...it's a totally different type of training.

Look at the recent BJ Penn vs Sean Sherk fight...BJ dominated the whole match with superior skill, and had good enough cardio to control "Muscle Shark"...even though Sherk appears to be in better physical shape.  Skill, flexibility, and cardio training won the bout for BJ Penn.   Not being ripped like Sherk.

So they all approach training differently, and whatever works for them to succeed is how they train.   But I think as the sport evolves you'll see less of the tubby guys and more of the Rich Franklin / GSP type guys that take every part of training more seriously, including diet and weight control.