Ahead of his UFC 330 welterweight title fight against Islam Makhachev on August 15, Ian Machado Garry recently featured in PETA’s (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) “Future Is Plant-Based” campaign, promoting the benefits of a vegan lifestyle. In the promotional video, the Irishman explained how switching to a plant-based diet transformed his training by improving his recovery and helping him perform at a higher level.

“Every fighter wants to be the best,” Garry said in the video. “For me, it starts with what I put in my body. Before I was plant-based, I was strong. But now, I’m on another level. Because strength isn’t just power, it’s clarity, endurance, discipline. I recover faster, smoother. This is what peak performance feels like.

“My body works better, my mind is locked in. I’m not just fighting opponents, I’m fighting limits. To be the best version of me, and the best athlete out there. This is the future (revealing a vegan burger). And the future is powered by plants.”

While Ian Garry intended the campaign to highlight the benefits of his plant-based diet, many MMA fans had a very different reaction. Rather than embracing the message, several used it as another reason to throw their support behind Islam Makhachev ahead of their title clash in Philadelphia.

For Garry, publicly embracing a vegan diet is nothing new. The welterweight contender previously followed a conventional meat-based diet. However, in 2021, he transitioned to a fully structured plant-based eating routine under the guidance of nutritionist Richard Cullin, who is also Garry’s wife Layla’s ex-husband, explaining that regular meat consumption had led to repeated infections and weakened his immune system during training camps and difficult weight cuts.

During a recent interview with BBC, the 28-year-old shed further light on his decision to go vegan, revealing that his recovery has improved dramatically since changing his eating habits, which had often left him feeling sick.

“If I didn’t go vegan, I wouldn’t be in the position I am right now, one million per cent,” ‘The Future’ said. “Because I saw the negative effects that my diet was having towards my weight cutting and my fighting. I kept consistently getting sick.”

The welterweight contender has also accepted several UFC fights on short notice, requiring him to undergo rapid weight cuts within a limited timeframe. Garry revealed that following a plant-based diet has made the process significantly easier. As a result, he has been able to take on opponents such as Carlos Prates and Shavkat Rakhmonov on short notice without compromising his health.

“My weight management since I’ve been vegan has been amazing,” Garry told BBC. “My recovery, my rest, my output, my training has been second to none. So I’ve been able to take short-notice fights to put myself in a position to beat the best guys in the world.”

While Ian Machado Garry has become one of the sport’s most prominent advocates of veganism, he is far from the first fighter to adopt a plant-based diet. Before him, both Nick and Nate Diaz have revealed that they follow vegan diets, claiming that a plant-based lifestyle gives them an advantage over their opponents, particularly in terms of recovery and endurance. While both have at times faced ridicule from the MMA fanbase for such a diet, it doesn’t seem to have deterred Garry from actively advocating it.

Despite the Irishman’s confidence in his nutritional approach, the PETA campaign to promote veganism, judging from the reaction to the clip, failed to win over much of the MMA fanbase, with many instead backing Makhachev ahead of UFC 330.

Fans pick Islam Makhachev after Ian Garry’s PETA campaign

One fan immediately remarked in the comments, “He works so hard to make himself unlikeable.” Echoing the same sentiment, another fan found a reason to side with Makhachev, commenting, “Me too. Now he is forcing us to cheer for Islam.” A third user added, “I’ve tried very hard to like this guy. 😕.”

Although several fighters have adopted a plant-based lifestyle, many still believe that a meat-based diet offers a superior nutritional profile that supports better recovery. One of them is Garry’s former opponent, Shavkat Rakhmonov, who previously took a jab at the Irishman’s dietary preference.

Ahead of their UFC 310 clash in December 2024, Rakhmonov said in a UFC interview that it is “better” to follow a meat-based diet because eating meat is “good.” The Kazakh fighter at the time joked that he could enjoy more meat because Garry had gone vegan. Rakhmonov ultimately won the contest, although it was a closely contested fight between two athletes with contrasting dietary philosophies.

Even so, many fans believe Garry’s vegan diet is reason enough to support Islam Makhachev. One user wrote, “THIS MOTHER F—R IS UNBEARABLE! I swear to you I thought nothing could make me root for Islam.” Another questioned whether Garry could obtain the same level of protein from a plant-based diet, writing, “Jesus. What a load of s—t. There’s no way he’s getting the same protein absorption level from plant based dieting.” But the criticism did not stop there.

Another fan argued that plant-based foods, particularly fake meats, are often heavily processed and packed with chemicals, writing, “Didn’t we already figure out that all these plant-based meats were complete garbage chemical experiments that your body cant absorb.”

However, not everyone opposed the welterweight title challenger for his dietary choices. One fan responded, “I don’t understand why veganism bothers men so much. Most normal people would be like oh cool he’s vegan good on him.”

So far, Ian Garry has shown that his vegan diet has not hindered his performance. His only professional loss came in a closely contested bout against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310. With that in mind, it would not be a stretch to say that ‘The Future’s’ approach to nutrition has served him well.

Whether fans approve of his diet or not, Ian Machado Garry will have the opportunity to back up his claims in the biggest fight of his career when he faces Islam Makhachev for the UFC welterweight title at UFC 330 on August 15.

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