He dedicated an entire training camp to lifting weights and putting on mass, noting that it’s genuinely difficult to gain weight when you train as doggedly as he does each and every day. Once his body was rebuilt, the welterweight title challenger went into another camp, where he spent his time training with big guys.
The result is a happier, more energetic Makhachev who is actually enjoying the opening days of Fight Week for the first time.
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“I smile all week,” he said when asked how different he feels heading into his first UFC appearance in the 170-pound weight class. “Before I remember Monday and Tuesday is no energy, always thinking, ‘Where you gonna eat? How much you gonna eat? What is your weight?’ but not now.
“I feel much different. All training camp, I enjoyed my camp, training with the big guys, and I feel more energy. Also, I can wrestle with Khabib now, because he is also very big.”
A quick smirk scurried across his face after poking fun at his longtime friend, but the playful and willingness to engage in an interview is a much different presentation than recent weeks when he arrived as the lightweight titleholder.