Take an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look as Thiago sharpens up his tools with coach, Katel Kubis, as the Pitbull prepares to take on Martin Kampmann in the main event of UFC on FX2 in Sydney, Australia.
Posted by David Herbert February 14, 2012
BuddhaSport.com
When you think of dangerous strikers in the UFC’s welterweight division, the first two guys that come to your mind will most likely be Thiago Alves (19-8-0) and Martin Kampmann (18-5-0). For those of you who find this to be a valid statement, you have probably thought about these two duking it out in the Octagon at some point. The two welterweight titans will meet this March in Australia at UFC on FX 2, giving many fans a fight they not only wanted but will probably remember their entire lives.
The last several years have been rough for both fighters. Kampmann has had a temultuous relationship with the judges, losing two straight decisions to Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez that were controversial to say the least. Against Sanchez, the Danish striker did more damage to Diego’s face than the tsunami did to Japan but the judges somehow saw it. The Xtreme Couture disciple has since bounced back with a dominating decision win over the last man to defeat Alves in Rick Story and also feels he learned a valuable lesson in his TKO loss to Paul Daley that will help in against the similar striker in Alves as Kampmann explains in an interview I did with him last week. On the other hand, Thiago has won two fights in his last five since his challenge to GSP’s title. All of which saw the judges cards except his last…a picture perfect rear-naked choke that came as a result of the Brazilian stunning his opponent; Sweden’s Papy Abedi, with strikes then going on to finish him on the ground. Needless to say, this last several years of ups and downs has molded a special mentality to the minds of both men and that mentality is to finish every fight no matter what.
It is unclear where the winner of this fight will find himself in the division. With fights like Hendricks/Koscheck on the horizon and Ellenberger/Sanchez tonight, it is difficult to guage how the division’s title picture will come together over the next six months. Should Brian Ebersole win his next fight, whoever it may be, he will also be among the top of the division. Alves knows he needs a win to get back in the mix and being one of the worlds best strikers, he couldn’t be happier to be a facing another technical and sound striker in Kampmann. As for the ground play, Kampmann may have a slight edge but Alves has really focused on improving his wrestling and submissions, which he quickly proved in his last victory. The key to the rounding out of his skills is the method of his amazing team at American Top Team in which gym owner and fighter manager Dan Lambert brings in and houses elite wrestlers, strikers and BJJ fighters to work with the team on improving their weaknesses.
Since Thiago’s brilliant move to bring top notch nutritionist and fellow fighter Mike Dolce in to assist him with his dieting and weight cutting, he has not only made weight every time but changed his whole overall performance at 170-pounds.
Since the win over Abedi at UFC 138, Alves has appointed Dolce to do his strength and conditioning as well and feels this has given him a new edge that he was fighting without prior to his partnership with the founder of the infamous Dolce Diet. Alves caught wind of the possible matchup with Kampmann soon after his last victory and has been preparing hard with Dolce and the rest of ATT family ever since. Australian fans lucky enough to have tickets to this fight will get to see the 2.0 versions of The Hitman and Pitbull live.
Dave Herbert: Are you excited to be fighting a high caliber striker like Kampmann?
Thiago Alves: I have had alot of really high profile fights in the UFC but I don’ think I’ve ever fought such a tough striker, besides maybe Chris Lytle, who is nowhere near as technical as Kampmann. I fight much, much better against technical guys. I know its going to be a hard, fast paced fight and I’m ready to go hard for 15 minutes. I have never been knocked out and I plan to keep it that way. Mike Dolce has me in great shape and not just him but all my coaches at ATT. I love my gym and I have a great thing going on. We are working hard to make me a world champion but first things first I have to get through Kampmann. I think we are going to put on a great show in Australia, a place I have never been before.
Dave Herbert: What do you think of this matchup? Is Kampmann a fight you have thought about in the past?
Thiago Alves: I’m really excited. I’ve been training really hard for a long time now; since right after my fight with Papy. I love this fight. As soon as I heard about it, I talked to Dolce and we decided to start preparing for it ahead of time. I have a good feeling about this fight and I know its a good matchup for the fans and I think we matchup very well. I’m going to finish him. All the respect to Martin, I think he’s a great fighter but its my time; I’m going to bring the pressure and I’m gonna break him. I have watched all his fights and studied him and he is a very skilled striker but he doesn’t like to get hit and I’m definitely going to hit him.
Dave Herbert: His wrestling and submissions has improved greatly since he started training at Xtreme Couture. Are you willing to hit the mat with him or do you plan to use your takedown defense to keep the fight standing and test his chin?
Thiago Alves: I’m definitely going to test his chin and I’m definitely going to try and finish him. If I have the opportunity to take him down, I’m going to go for it but I will be happy to keep this fight standing. You know me, I love to strike but I’m ready to fight anywhere. I know he’s improved alot training at Xtreme Couture but that won’t stop me from imposing my will and winning this fight. We also have a program now at ATT where we are bringing in all these top notch wrestlers and providing them with housing. These guys are all studs straight out of college and are making a transition to MMA. I have my flaws with wrestlers but I am getting better and better and now I feel very comfortable in that area and as far the jiu-jitsu game I don’t think he’s going to throw anything at me that I haven’t already seen. I know Kampmann is very well rounded but I’m ready.
Dave Herbert: The credit for bringing in these elite wrestlers and fighters goes to ATT owner Dan Lambert correct?
Thiago Alves: Yeah, Dan Lambert is really changing the game and taking sport to new levels. Housing is something he was doing before and then he stopped and we went through a transitional phase where we lost some guys. It felt like there was something missing in the camp but now Dan is doing it again; bringing in top guys in all different styles to strengthen weaknesses and round out the fighters in the gym. The way Lambert runs ATT is beautiful. He charges 5% for training and management and that’s it. We are trying to grow even more and get the best fighters from all over.
Dave Herbert: The UFC has been to Brazil twice now but the timing was not right for you to be on the card. Are you hoping to get on the next card they do in Brazil?
Thiago Alves: I would love to but I don’t think I will get to be on the next one. It’s 14 weeks away and I have a feeling this fight is going to be a war bro.I mean you never know, money talks so if the UFC wants me on the card I will be ready. I definitely want to fight in Brazil this year regardless. I want to fight 3 times this year, hopefully again in June and then again before the end of the year so maybe it will work out so that I can be on a Brazil card.
Dave Herbert: What was your take on the Diaz/Condit fight?
Thiago Alves: When I saw it at first I was thinking Diaz because he pushed the pace and he ended the fight with a takedown and getting Condit’s back but then I see all the reviews and statistics that show Condit landed more strikes and basically outstruck him. None of it maters now though. Condit has the belt and that’s how it is and now he is a target for me.
Dave Herbert: What fight for you in the division intrigues you the most?
Thiago Alves: There’s alot of otions right now and welterweight is one of the deepest divisions right. If I go through Kampmann, my next fight could be anyone from the winner of Ellenberger/Sanchez to Brian Ebersole or even the winner of Koscheck/Hendricks. I would love to fight any one of them. Of course I would love to fight Diaz but that is out the window at least for now.
Dave Herbert: Say the UFC offered a decorated wrestler like Johny Hendricks. Would there be any hesitation in accepting the fight?
Thiago Alves: None. Hendricks would be a great matchup for me. He’s a great wrestler but this is not a wrestling match. This is MMA and everything changes once you get punched in the face. Also my current coach used to be Johny’s coach so that is a plus. Bring any wrestler because I’m ready.
Dave Herbert: Now that you have been working with Dolce steadily for a while, do you have your diet and weight cutting down to a science?
Thiago Alves: The first time I was like ‘I can’t believe this is going to work.’ The 2nd time I will still unsure but it was the last I knew no matter what if I stick ot this diet I’m going to make weight every time and be ready for war the next day. I have been competing in the UFC up until my last few fights with maybe 60% of my abilities. With Rick Story I will say I made a mistake…when I wanted to go to war it was too late. Dolce isn’t just doing my dieting but my strength and conditioning as well and has been since my last fight with Papy. Before Mike I used to blow up to like 205. Now I don’t go above 185 unless I do nothing and even then I don’t get above 200. I get lighter and lighter every training camp and now it like I can do it in my sleep. I’m very excited to see how it works out against a much better, more experienced fighter like Kampmann.
Original article here
by Derek Bolender, MMAJunkie.com
Thiago Alves had his chance and blew it.
Regardless, there was no shame in losing a unanimous decision at UFC 100 to Georges St-Pierre in his only career title fight. If you’ve been in the 170-pound fray for as long as “Pitbull” has, chances are you’ve lost to the Canadian kingpin, too.
So with St-Pierre currently idle and interim champion Carlos Condit patiently waiting, the rest are free to jockey for position and string together title runs.
Jake Ellenberger and Johny Hendricks may have a 10-mile lead in the marathon, but Alves is at least competing in the race again following his submission win over Papy Abedi at UFC 138.
Alves (19-8 MMA, 11-5 UFC) and fellow contender Martin Kampmann (18-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) will headline UFC on FX 2, which takes place March 3 at Allphones Arena in Sydney, Australia. Due to the time difference, the event takes place on Saturday afternoon in Australia, and the main card airs live on FX in North America on Friday, March 2.
“I asked for that fight, to be honest with you,” Alves told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio).
“I think it’s going to be a great fight for both of us. We match up pretty well. We kind of got the same skills. It’s going to be a great fight for the fans. At the same time, I want to see who’s the best; who’s the best striker, who’s the best all-around fighter. I’m very excited. I’m training really, really hard. I can’t wait to get in there.”
It’s been a series of ups and downs for Alves following the UFC 100 loss to St-Pierre. He lost a unanimous decision to Jon Fitch at UFC 117, bounced back with a unanimous decision win over John Howard at UFC 124, and then stubbed his toe again when he dropped a unanimous decision to Rick Story at UFC 130.
The win over Abedi in November 2011 continued the alternating pattern. A win over Kampmann would break the mold and continue his upward trajectory.
Once a punchline for fans and pundits due to his failure to make weight before fights, Alves appears to be benefitting quite nicely from his relationship with former “Ultimate Fighter” cast member Mike Dolce and his appropriately titled “Dolce Diet.”
Alves missed weight at UFC 85 and UFC 117. But ever since he hired Dolce prior to UFC 124, he has hit the mark every time.
The pair synched up again prior to the trip “down under.”
“Dolce is like my older brother right now,” Alves said. “I trust Dolce fully with my training camp and with my career. He’s the one taking care of my strength and conditioning and my diet also, so he’s the one who put the whole training camp together. And the way he formats everything, he decides whenever I have to go hard or take it easy. He put the whole thing together.
“Besides that, Dolce is a great human being. He is a great person to be around, great energy. Since we started working together everything has just been great.”
Dolce will go as far as to live with Alves during his training camps to monitor him on a daily basis.
Before Dolce it was rice, beans, pasta, steak, eggs, and sausage on a regular basis for Alves.
“That’s how I was raised,” he said. “That’s how most of the people eat in Brazil. I never really ate vegetables or anything like that.”
Now its Dolce-crafted dishes like “Pitbull pancakes” he consumes.
“I think that’s the main problem with all the diets out there – it doesn’t really taste good,” Alves said. “But not the Dolce Diet. The Dolce Diet, everything tastes amazing. That’s why it’s so easy and it’s so effortless to follow it.”
To combat the time change that comes with flying to Australia, Alves will leave on Feb. 22 to make sure he arrives well ahead of fight night in order to properly acclimate himself to the new continent.
“When I fought in Birmingham (England) last time (at UFC 138) I remember on Wednesday, like Tuesday before the fight waking up at 4 a.m. like, ‘What’s going on?'” Alves said. “I’m fully awake at 4 a.m. trying to get back to sleep.
“You don’t really do much before the fight. You just try to lose your weight and save energy as much as possible, as much as you can, but you definitely have got to try to get on a schedule. And then if you get there first thing in the morning don’t sleep in even if you are dead tired. Try to do whatever you can in your power not to sleep in. It’s going to take you definitely two or three days to get adjusted, but if you do that it’s going to be way easier.”
Alves firmly believes a win over a credible top tier opponent in Kampmann would propel him into the proverbial “mix” and give instant credibility to title run No. 2.
“I truly believe after this fight, if I beat Kampmann, it’s going to be like I never lost to Rick Story,” Alves said. “I think one fight more, and another one, maybe two. I don’t know. But definitely after this fight I’m on my way to fight for the title again.”
“(Jake) Ellenberger got one big victory, but that’s about it. All the other guys there in title contention now, they never really fought the top guys.”
It’s been 31 months since Alves was in the cage fighting for the right to be called a champion.
His pursuit to be the best and to have the belt around his waist is what continues to drive him today.
Dolce may fuel his body, but championship dreams fuel his mind.
“It’s (winning a title) everything for me,” Alves said. “That’s everything I’ve been working for since I got out of Brazil. It’s what I think about every day. It’s how I work. It’s how I take my day. It’s how I live my life, to become a world champion.
“I know it’s just a matter of time.”
For more on UFC on FX 2, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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Dolce talks about the principles behind his best-selling book
by Duane Finley, HeavyMMA.com
As his athletes continued to hit the scales and perform in impressive fashion, the buzz surrounding Mike Dolce’s methods grew.
While the requests for his services filled up his schedule, Dolce knew there was more to be done and he started to see a much larger picture. Building off his first instruction manual, “3 Weeks to Shredded,” Dolce teamed up with his wife Brandy to write “Living Lean.”
“My methods had been proven successful by so many different people, and that is what created my momentum,” Dolce said.”‘3 Weeks to Shredded’ has been sold in 90 different countries, which is pretty amazing for a 50-page, plastic-bound weight-cutting manual. It’s been a word-of-mouth campaign, and we don’t do any marketing for it. That shows the growth. I was in my office and my wife called telling me that we’ve had an order come in for the manual from Qatar. It was a surreal moment, because some people don’t even know Qatar is a country and that means someone over there sought out my name, my product and it made me realize ‘The Dolce Diet’ was getting legs.
“The book ‘Living Lean’ is something my wife Brandy and I had been thinking about doing for a year and a half. ‘3 Weeks to Shredded’ is a great guide, but it is a weight-cutting manual and I knew I needed to come out with a book – something that was more informative and detailed. Losing 25-30 pounds is great for some people, and certainly in their minds a lot of people want to accomplish this, but for long-term goals there is a better way to go about it. I wanted to cross over and seek out the people who want to be healthy. People who want to feed their kids properly so their kids can be healthy.
“We really need to start changing the world through the perception of nutrition. There is so much garbage and misinformation through marketing out there. Corporate greed is killing our population and stealing our money. In ‘Living Lean,’ the first part of the book is stories from my own life. These stories are to show examples of the message I’m trying to get across. I’m a coach and a longevity advocate – that is how I define myself. It is my job, my duty to coach people towards a better lifestyle.”
As a former journalist and wife to the man behind the method, Brandy Dolce was perfect to co-author the best-selling book. For years she watched as Mike continuously applied and revamped his formula. While the visible aspects of his career focused on the preparation of elite athletes, the groundwork was laid in the lives of everyday people.
“Mike is extremely passionate,” she said. “Throughout the years, Mike has used himself as an experiment, applied his methods to athletes and regular people and the evolution of his theories and principles continue to grow every day. I’ve watched him apply his methods as a coach and teacher over the years, and it is the passion that really comes through.
“The principles for ‘The Dolce Diet’ began with regular people. Soccer moms, dads, diabetics – people from every category and walk of life sharing their stories are what helped this movement grow. People who fight to become healthy in their everyday lives are spreading the word. Taking one simple, positive step at a time is where it all started.”
As the couple began work on “Living Lean,” Dolce’s role as the go-to guy for nutritional preparation in mixed martial arts continued to draw attention. The fighters he worked with continued to have success and “The Dolce Diet” became a known term in the MMA community. It also started to become clear Dolce’s methods were impacting more than just the diets of his athletes.
“I don’t focus on performance as the end result as much as I do on longevity,” Dolce said. “I am a longevity advocate and I attempt to make that very clear when I speak to anyone. Whatever the perception about me is, I want to make that point clear. Anytime I work with an athlete or speak to an individual about health, wellness or nutrition, I want them to understand it is longevity that is important. I want them to live until they are 120 years old. I want them to obtain a vibrant state of health throughout the entire process based upon the current choices they make in their lifestyle. I will never compromise the health of my athletes for any reason. Everything I do is done with their health as the primary concern.
“Thiago Alves is a great example of one of the guys who has really made the most of it. He saw how it could better his life. Before we met he was doing the exact opposite because everything in his mind was performance based. He wanted to come into a fight on weight, kick his opponent’s butt and make a lot of money during the process. This doesn’t always work because sometimes when you do that you hurt your body and health. You ruin your chances of having the great performances that would lead to those end goals. When he started my system, his whole career changed. He’s having a career rebirth. Everything is changing for him. But most importantly, he’s healthier than he’s ever been.”
Alves also elaborated on what it takes to apply Dolce’s methods and turn them into a lifestyle.
“His book is called ‘Living Lean,’ and that’s no joke,” Alves added. “You have to live that way. You wake up every day feeling great and you go to sleep with energy to spare. It makes you feel healthy and vibrant. He says it all the time, but you really are what you eat, especially if you are an athlete. On my diet, I’m allowed ‘cheat meals,’ but it’s to the point where after a cheat meal, when I am allowed to eat something like I used to, I don’t feel good – almost as if it’s a poison or something.
“If I eat a lot of something I’m not used to, my body will push it out or reject it right away. I know my body much better now because of Mike. I know what my body needs and how to fuel it properly. I don’t take supplements anymore, and I used to take them all the time. I used to take all the multi-vitamins and things like that, but now I get everything I need from real food.”
Once “Living Lean” became available, it did not take long for Dolce’s methods to spark excitement outside the realm of MMA. With the book, Dolce provided the everyday individual with a step-by-step guide on how to get back to the basics of a healthy lifestyle.
“The book is an overall approach to teach people how to live lean,” Dolce said. “That can be a lady who is 40 pounds overweight, had three babies, and now she is doesn’t know what to do to get to where she wants to be. She is feeding her family and is lost in the mill of everything that is going on. All of these recipes are used by high-level athletes such as Thiago Alves, Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort, but they can also be used by their wives, daughters and grandparents. We were trying to reach as many people as possible in the simplest form possible. ‘Living Lean’ is more of a conversation amongst people from all walks of life. It’s not science-heavy at all and is told in a story setting to teach people examples. We did it this way to allow people to find an emotional anchor – some sort of kinship.
“My father’s situation came from lifestyle habits, and while he worked very hard to take care of our family, he never took care of himself. I wanted to include that in ‘Living Lean’ to show people it’s not just pro athletes who can apply these methods successfully, it’s everyday people. We all have to eat well and take care of ourselves, and ‘Living Lean’ is my way of saying, ‘Here are ways I’ve discovered to accomplish those goals.'”
Co-author Brandy Dolce shared her insight into the importance of “Living Lean.”
“Time and time again, people overlook the basics,” she said. “We are inundated with marketing and fantastical claims where they see commercials that say, ‘If you take this pill, you will never be hungry again.’ That is ridiculous. We are humans. We are supposed to be hungry and we need food to survive. ‘Living Lean’ helps strip away the pretense that we need more and more and teaches us that life already gives us what we need to thrive. We just need that kick in the pants, a reminder that meals shouldn’t come in the form of powders and pills. ‘Living Lean’ reminds us that living a healthy life isn’t hard to accomplish, but we have to strip back to the basics to create a future generation of health and wellness.
“We have all seen that person who struggles with weight. They think it’s impossible. They think they need to shell out hundreds and thousands of dollars to accomplish something they never end up achieving. After following Mike’s principles and the things we’ve written in ‘Living Lean’ and ‘3 Weeks to Shredded,’ they realize they never needed any of the things they’ve invested in before. They realize it was within them the entire time and by reading a book and following directions, have empowered themselves to change the direction of their lives.
“It is my sincerest hope that people rediscover the confidence in themselves and realize the answers they’ve been searching for have been there the entire time. Those answers are not in flashy advertisements and miracle pills, they are found in basic applications and making healthy choices. Confidence is one of those things you can’t sell. It is our goal to spread this information and let people know the keys to making this happen are possible – you just have to be willing to make sound, informed decisions.”
With success comes more responsibility, and this is an equation Mike Dolce does not take lightly. The New Jersey native knows in order to fix the issues plaguing the nutritional world, he must be inside the machine for the work to be done correctly. While the countless testimonials speak volumes, nothing worth doing comes without sacrifice.
“I’m a worker,” Dolce said. “My family comes from very humble beginnings and we are very proud of that fact. I have no problem swinging a hammer for 12 hours to feed my family. What I do is not financially motivated at all. I get satisfaction knowing I’ve helped someone live a better life, a more productive life and be there for their families. They take their successes and spread their stories amongst their friends and relatives.
“Slowly but surely, we are changing the world, making it a better place. My Twitter feed (@thedolcediet) is filled with tons of Tweets that are true, honest testimonials from real people. These are from regular people from all over the world, and that is an amazing feeling. When I see those things, it lets me know I’m doing the right thing. I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. I firmly believe this is my role in life and the reason I was put on Earth.
“I’ve been blessed where I can take care of my family because of the career path I’ve chosen, but that is secondary to the work I do. People see me in Las Vegas, Australia, Brazil and think I’m on vacation. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s work, non-stop work for me. It’s a labor of love and the sacrifice of being away from my family is truly the hardest aspect for me. Hotel beds and being away from the people who know you the best are part of the sacrifice, but knowing I’m helping to improve lives makes it all worthwhile.
“It doesn’t cost anything to be healthy. It is a matter of making choices. Either you make a decision which brings you closer to becoming healthier, or you choose against it. The issue is black and white across the board. Hopefully my influence will help people make positive choices and become healthier. If you’ve truly helped one person change their life it is something that will stick with you forever. I’ve been blessed where I’ve been able to help a few – more than just one individual – and it’s made all the difference in my life.”
Original Article Here
Famed nutritionist talks about his beginnings and rise to prominence
by Duane Finley, HeavyMMA.com
In the scientific world, a catalyst is a compound that is necessary for change to occur, but the compound itself remains unchanged. Without its presence, there is no reaction. After the reaction has taken place, it can be removed – and yet the change remains.
Enter Mike Dolce and “The Dolce Diet.”
The program’s namesake has become one of the most dynamic forces to be injected into the world of MMA training and preparation over the past decade. The fighter-turned-coach evolved his nutritional and training theories into what has become his personal mission to shake up not only the way things are done in pre-fight preparation, but to help provide a cutting-edge look at a world of possibilities in the realm of diet and nutrition.
The best-selling author is one of the most sought-after minds in the mixed martial arts community, and while his knowledge and presence has altered lives and changed career trajectories, his personal road began on the opposite side of the formula.
“I come from a blue-collar family on the East Coast,” Dolce explained. “When I was young, my father had a massive stroke and my family was torn apart as a result of it. I was 9 years old and my mother was working three jobs to literally keep the heat on in the house. I knew the only way I was going to get out of that was to get a scholarship. The high school I went to had a wrestling team that was terrible, and I knew the only way I was going to be able to compete with the best competition was to become stronger, faster and in better shape than everyone.
“As an 8- or 9-year-old kid, I was enamored with strength and weightlifting. I was buying all the magazines and staying up until 3 or 4 o’clock reading them, and even at an early age, I was in the library reading up on everything I could find about muscle, diet and fitness. Looking back, it is strange to think I was that young and interested in those things – but it is where my education began. It continued all the way through and hasn’t stopped.”
As Dolce fought to overcome the circumstances of family tragedy, he began to piece together the foundation that would eventually become his future. Unfortunately, before the avenues of success were discovered, his life took another detour into hardship. After an injury erased his ability to wrestle, Dolce found himself back at the drawing board. Down but not out, he began his search for the next step in his life.
“My career was cut short due to a shoulder injury, which resulted in my scholarship being taken away,” Dolce said. “I’ve been a weight-class competitive athlete my entire life, and late in 2002 I walked into one of Renzo Gracie’s gyms. Before my time at Renzo’s, I had already been involved in strength, conditioning and nutritional training, and when I started working with his jiu-jitsu guys it began to take shape. I started working with his guys and grew into this role organically. I had the wrestling base, still had the need to compete and began working with athletes as they prepared to compete for NAGA tournaments.
“This led to another opportunity, and I went up to help coach at Team Quest in Oregon. Randy Couture was still there and had just beaten Tito Ortiz for the title, and I wanted to learn some of the things they were doing. The Team Quest athletes were in the best shape out of all of the fighters in mixed martial arts, and I wanted to pick up that information and take it back to my guys on the East Coast. I hit it off really well with Team Quest, and they offered me a spot on their team as the head strength coach.
“Working at Team Quest added another element to the equation because I began fighting, and this started the evolution of ‘The Dolce Diet.’ I was able to intimately understand the demands and needs of a competitive mixed martial artist. It continued to grow and was a constant evolution.”
In addition to working a full schedule as Team Quest’s strength and conditioning coach, Dolce decided to strap on the 4-ounce gloves and take a look at competition from inside the cage. His wrestling background proved effective, but despite some success, Dolce never considered making fighting his career.
“I enjoyed fighting,” Dolce said. “I enjoyed training and competing, but my career goal has always been to be a coach. And throughout my time in mixed martial arts, I’ve always defined myself as a coach. I fought more or less for fun, and it just so happens I was able to do relatively well based upon my expectations. I hold the fastest knockout in the IFL and was able to get myself onto the seventh season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ As a fighter, I competed against a lot of tough guys who were definitely well above my personal skill set.
“If you take a look back at those fights, most of them are great fights that were very competitive. I was a part-time fighter at best who was competing against full-time professionals – and that is the way I always looked at it. I enjoyed the process and the money was nice. I made decent money as a fighter, and I wanted to fight in the UFC because who doesn’t? But it wasn’t a career goal as much as it was a personal aspiration.
“It is kind of weird now that I’m a little older and wiser because looking back, I’m able to see it for what it is. I’ve been a coach my entire life. When I was a freshman in high school, I was a captain of the varsity wrestling program. I’ve always been in a leadership or mentor role, and it suits me perfectly. It suits my personality.”
While fighting may have never been the desired end result for Dolce, it did create a career-turning opportunity. His time on the seventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter” helped bring his diet and nutrition theories to the attention of some of the sport’s top fighters. With a solid track record at Team Quest, Dolce was motivated to take “The Dolce Diet” and his athletes to the next level.
“In the last 25 years of my life, I’ve been competing in weight-class dominated sports,” Dolce explained. “In that environment, you have to eat a lot every day to keep your body fueled – and my mind has always been switched on to eating for performance. ‘The Dolce Diet’ has been a constant evolution throughout the entire process. I’ve been surrounded by the biggest names in mixed martial arts for years and the guys I’m able to work with now are there, as well. I’ve been working with guys like Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen and Thiago Alves, amongst many other athletes.
“(The Dolce Diet’) is still an evolution, and it’s certainly nothing that is perfected. Every single day, it is getting better and becoming more refined. The principles and applications are always improving, and it is visible in the athletes I work with. They look better every time out. They are stronger, faster and in better shape in addition to being happier and healthier – which I feel is the most important aspect.
“Vitor Belfort is fighting in the UFC. He’s a championship-level competitor. He’s fighting in main events in the sport’s biggest promotion, and while that is all great – I don’t care about any of that as much as I care about him living up to the full extent of his potential as a human being. The point I stress to my athletes is world titles and money are nice, but they don’t mean anything if you don’t have your health. When I focus on the long term, the short-term goals take care of themselves.
“Current science shows the average human can live to be 120 years old if they make very simple lifestyle choices which allow them to unlock that potential. I try to assist athletes in the choices they make throughout their day, and it becomes a lifestyle.”
Dolce was quietly making a name for himself in the world of mixed martial arts, but everything shifted when he agreed to take Thiago Alves on as a client. The former No. 1 contender to the UFC welterweight crown had publically struggled with weight loss for years, and after a highly publicized failure to make weight at UFC 117, Alves’ career, once thought to hold the utmost potential, seemed to be in dire straits. Dolce was aware pairing with Alves would put his methods front and center, but he knew he had the solution to the problem.
“I had met Thiago’s agent (Malki Kawa) when I was working with another athlete about a year prior to working with Thiago,” Dolce said. “Malki had suggested I work with Thiago, and I told him to hit me up if and when he wanted to make that happen. I was really busy and we stayed somewhat in touch throughout the year, but then the Jon Fitch fight happened. When I saw Thiago step on the scale for that fight, I could see in his eyes just how much pain he was in. I’ve been cutting weight my entire life. I’ve cut 40 pounds in less than a month’s time, 30 pounds in a week and have probably cut more weight than most of the guys in MMA. I’ve been there and I’ve suffered. I know what it feels like to suffer, and I could see how much Thiago was suffering.
“On top of it, he’s about to fight Jon Fitch, who in my mind is one of the best athletes in the world. He’s so tough and technical. He’s in great shape, strong both mentally and physically, and how the hell is a kid who is in Thiago’s condition going to step into the cage against Fitch the next night after looking like that? He misses weight by half a pound and gives up $12,000 of his salary to not squeeze out 8 ounces of fluid. Thiago makes that conscious choice, which shows you how hurt he was by the weight cut. As soon as I saw that, I picked up the phone to contact Malki. I told him he needed to put Alves in touch with me immediately.
“Thiago goes in and fights Jon Fitch to a decision, and this is amazing because the kid should have been in a hospital on Saturday instead of fighting Jon Fitch. He loses a decision, and Sunday morning Malki contacted me about working with Thiago. We set up a conference call for the next day, within 5 minutes we have a deal struck, and from that day forward we are a team. He and I have been inseparable from that time forward.”
The relationship between Dolce and Alves has “Pitbull” firing on all cylinders in the midst of a career rejuvenation. Alves has won two of his last three outings and is positioning himself for another run at the welterweight crown. Perhaps more importantly, Alves has rediscovered the joy he once had for the sport and he believes it wouldn’t have been possible without Dolce’s intervention.
“Before Mike, making weight was the hardest thing in my career,” Alves said. “There were times in the days leading up to fights where I would think about giving up and getting a different job. It was because I didn’t know what I was doing. When I couldn’t make weight for the Jon Fitch fight, it was the last straw. I started to realize what was going on with me and the mistakes I was making. It almost put my career in jeopardy.
“I wasn’t happy, and it shouldn’t have been that way because I truly love what I do. It shouldn’t be that big of a chore, that big of a punishment for me to get ready for a fight. I have always competed at the highest level. I’ve been a top contender for a while, and I’ve fought for the title and everyone else who is up there. Looking at it now, I realize I was competing with the best guys, but only working at 40 percent of my ability because I was so depleted before my fights. I would start passing out a few days before the fight. When I fought (Georges St-Pierre), I started passing out on the Wednesday before. It was a common thing for me to do, and I just accepted it as part of the process. I would pass out days before the fight and on weigh-in day.
“That’s the only thing I knew. I didn’t know anything better. I was so motivated and wanted it so bad that I would accept suffering like that. Part of it is that I was young, and when you are young your body can absorb that damage. But it scarred me a little bit and it really (screwed) me up mentally when I would get to the final two pounds. I would get extreme anxiety and it turned my world upside down.
“Today, those things are gone. You clean up your soul, clean up your body for the battle that is coming. I can put all of my focus on the fight now, and before it wasn’t anything close to that. I know cutting weight is something that isn’t easy because you are taking weight off of your body and have to perform well on fight night, but I never knew it could be this easy and you could actually enjoy the entire process.”
Upon meeting with Alves, Dolce immediately recognized where things had gone so far off course for the young Brazilian fighter. He developed a customized system for Thiago to follow, and the results have spoken for themselves. Alves looks better than ever and the smile he once paraded has again returned.
“The most rewarding difference is Thiago is happy now,” Dolce explained. “We’ve become very close, and he’s told me the stories about what he used to do to get ready for fights and the obstacles he would have to overcome just to get into the cage. He used to have extreme states of anxiety in the weeks leading up to the fight. It would increase as the fight got closer. He is a kid that was walking around at 210 pounds, 10 percent body fat. Thiago is a very muscular individual. He’s a monster. He would be so focused on the pain he had to go through to make the weight, it took the love of the sport away from him. The sport became pain, torture and sacrifice in his mind.
“Now that Thiago is with me and following ‘The Dolce Diet,’ he is waking up at 193 pounds, 7 percent body fat year-round. He eats great food and loves his life. He used to be late to the gym for training and dragging himself around. Now he’s bouncing off the wall. He’s trying to add extra training sessions to his week, where he used to do everything he could to get out of them. He’s in such a great place now and his love of the sport has returned. The guys at American Top Team are amazing. They have done so much for him, and that is his family. Now he’s able to embrace that and enjoy what they have to offer, and it’s made all the difference. Now the world gets to see Thiago Alves coming into his own and honing his craft.”
Alves couldn’t be happier with the results and further shared his feelings about Dolce’s methods.
“Mike is a genius,” Alves said. “I’ve been with him for a while and I’ve never met anyone who has the knowledge he has. Mike has been a fighter and competed many times, so he knows the mental aspect of the fight game. The great thing about Mike is that he applies his work to your lifestyle. He doesn’t just come in and try to change everything. When we first met he observed my lifestyle a bit and then decided where we needed to make changes.
“It was a fluid process, and he didn’t come in and try to change everything at once. He guides the ship towards the destination and helps you develop the things you need to learn. But what works for me might not work for the guy next to me, and that is what amazes me about Mike. He has the same goal in mind for everybody, but he adapts to make it unique for the individual he is working with. He designs it to fit into their lifestyle, and I think that is amazing.
“Every day is a blessing. I live the dream and couldn’t ask for anything more. I know I’m not where I want to be yet, but I’m on the right track and have the right people behind me. The past two years have been a big shift for me. I changed a lot of the people who were around me and I’ve finally found the winning formula. I have great people behind me. I’m in a great state of mind. I know in this sport anything can happen at any time, but I’m ready for it. I’m ready for whatever comes my way. I’m excited and I’m out here to take everything I want to take.”
By Ariel Helwani
Video Reporter and Writer
So just how much of a size advantage will Anthony Johnson have over Vitor Belfort Saturday night at UFC 142?
Well, we already know that “Rumble” weighed 204.2 pounds this morning, hours after missing the middleweight mark Friday afternoon when he weighed 197 at the weigh-ins. Belfort’s highly-regarded nutritionist and trainer Mike Dolce told MMAFighting.com Saturday morning from Brazil that Belfort weighed 205 pounds at 9:15 p.m. local time Friday night, and he believes “The Phenom” will be around that weight by the time he steps into the cage Saturday night.
“He may get up to 208 with a full belly,” Dolce said, “but we’ll pull back his food a bit as he gets closer to competition time. [He’ll] probably be 204 tonight.”
Dolce said he believes Johnson will “probably be over 220 pounds” come fight time, but despite the expected weight discrepancy, Belfort never considered turning down the fight.
“We wanted the fight regardless,” Dolce said.
According to Johnson’s manager Glenn Robinson, “Rumble” was en route to making weight until he fell ill Friday morning and needed fluids to get better. However, Dolce isn’t buying that excuse.
“Every fighter is ‘ill’ on weigh-in day. He was bouncing around giving high-five’s in the pre-weigh-in line-up, laughing and looking fine,” Dolce said. “Missing weight is an issue of a weak mind, not body. I have seen thousands of cuts. If an athlete misses it is because he did not prepare properly or he breaks mentally.”
And while the scales will show that Johnson will enter the cage with a size advantage, Dolce doesn’t believe the deck has been stacked against his client Belfort.
“Belfort had the advantage the day the fight was signed. Johnson endured no more trauma than Vitor did. Or, any other MMA athlete. I don’t care what the stories say, all these guys suffer exactly the same and endure the same pain. Either you are prepared or you aren’t. Vitor is prepared.”
Original Article Here
Por SporTV.com
Rio de Janeiro
Mike Dolce fala sobre sua Dolce Diet, as semelhanças com a Dieta Gracie e sobre seus clientes brasileiros: Belfort, Thiago Alves e Luiz ‘Banha’ Cané
Entre o grupo de treinadores que Vitor Belfort trouxe para ajudá-lo no UFC 142, no próximo sábado, está um nutricionista que é um dos nomes mais badalados do MMA no momento: o americano Mike Dolce. Criador da Dolce Diet (Dieta Dolce), o técnico já atendeu centenas de artistas marciais mistos, mais de 60 deles com passagens pelo Ultimate, e está expandindo os negócios para trabalhar inclusive com atores de Hollywood. Poucos recebem o atendimento personalizado que o carioca está tendo às vésperas de enfrentar Anthony Johnson, e Dolce promete que o amigo e cliente vai dar show na Arena da Barra.
– Este é o melhor Vitor que o mundo já viu. Acho que o Vitor é o melhor peso-médio e o melhor lutador de MMA no mundo neste momento. O que ele faz é inacreditável. Todos sabemos que sua trocação é excelente. Seu jiu-jítsu é fenomenal. Mas o que está surpreendendo todo mundo é seu wrestling, está incrível. Ele está lutando como um wrestler americano, muito bom. Está em ótima forma. Mal posso esperar, apenas vejam – afirmou Dolce, em entrevista exclusiva ao SPORTV.COM.
Normalmente, os atletas do MMA passam por uma semana extenuante às vésperas de suas lutas, tentando cortar peso para bater os limites de suas categorias. Isso não acontece com os clientes de Dolce, que enchem a boca para elogiar seus métodos. O próprio Belfort, que tinha 10kg para perder no início da semana, está pronto para a pesagem, sem abrir mão de suas seis refeições diárias, apenas com pequenas mudanças no seu regime. Segundo Dolce, sua dieta é baseada em alimentos naturais, os chamados “whole foods”, sem produtos processados e refinados ou suplementos alimentícios, e isso faz a diferença.
– São nutrientes criados na terra. Comida da terra alimenta o corpo. Não acredito em suplementos – sem drogas, sem pó, sem pílulas, não são necessárias. Deus deu todos os nutrientes que precisamos no planeta, naturais – explicou.
A dieta tem semelhanças com a famosa Dieta Gracie, criada por Carlos Gracie e seguida rigorosamente pelo clã criador do jiu-jítsu brasileiro. Dolce começou a praticar artes marciais com um deles, Renzo Gracie, há 10 anos, e apesar de ter começado a formular sua dieta ainda antes de conhecê-lo, é um admirador do regime da família.
– Eu adoro a dieta Gracie porque ela também é só comida natural, nós dividimos o mesmo princípio. Minha proporção de comidas para cada refeição é a minha diferença para a dieta Gracie. Sou amigo de muitos membros da família Gracie, ainda treino com eles, são meus irmãos. Mas aqui no Brasil, é a casa do MMA e dos Gracie, então estou aprendendo muito, todos os dias e todos os minutos – contou.
Descoberta como treinador no ‘TUF’
Pouco depois de começar a treinar com Renzo, Dolce notou que tinha menos dificuldade para manter sua forma e perder peso que seus companheiros de luta e começou a dividir sua dieta. Apesar de um retrospecto pífio nos ringues – atualmente tem cinco vitórias e 10 derrotas – o lutador conseguiu uma vaga na sétima temporada do reality show “The Ultimate Fighter”, onde rapidamente impressionou o então campeão dos pesos-meio-pesados Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, treinador de uma das equipes do programa. Jackson logo o recrutou para ser um dos técnicos dentro do próprio show e, após o final das gravações, para trabalhar pessoalmente com ele.
Foi a grande chance de Dolce, que depois de Rampage atendeu nomes como Chael Sonnen, Michael Bisping, Gray Maynard, Chris Leben e Jake Ellenberger, entre outros. Em 2011, ele lançou um livro e passou a ser requisitado tanto por pessoas comuns quanto por celebridades do cinema.
– Esta é a beleza da Dolce Diet, é para todo mundo. A mesma dieta que o Vitor come, a Joana come e seus filhos comem. A única diferença é para cortar o peso para competição. Neste momento, dez dias antes, a dieta muda para o Vitor, para o corte de peso. Antes disso, a dieta é para todos: para avós, bebês, mulheres grávidas, atletas… Eu trabalho com muitos atores de Hollywood e agora estou trabalhando com um jogador do New York Yankees (time de beisebol dos EUA), mas não tão pessoalmente quanto no MMA – explicou o treinador, que limitou sua lista de clientes diretos para dez pela falta de tempo.
Entre esses dez, estão mais dois brasileiros: o meio-médio Thiago Alves e Luiz “Banha” Cané, que está deixando a divisão meio-pesado, de até 93kg, para competir na categoria médio, até 84kg. Antes de trabalhar com Dolce, Alves teve problemas para cortar peso para suas lutas e muito se especulou sobre se o cearense não deveria lutar como peso-médio. Para o nutricionista, porém, o “Pitbull” poderia até descer mais uma categoria.
– Thiago pode mover para peso-médio ou para peso-leve. Ele pode competir com sucesso em todas essas três categorias. Nosso objetivo agora é que ele seja campeão mundial entre os meio-médios. Depois disso, decidimos se ele sobe para médio ou desce para leve – disse Dolce, que negou que Alves tenha tido problemas para bater o peso em sua última luta, no UFC 138, contra Papy Abedi. – Ele bateu o peso fácil. O problema foi que as balanças estavam erradas. Na nossa escala, ele bateu o peso certinho. Na pesagem, a escala deles disse que estávamos errados. Cinco outros lutadores – Chris Leben, Mark Muñoz, Cyrille Diabate, Renan Barão e mais outro tiveram o mesmo problema que o Thiago. Fomos para o camarim, ele usou o banheiro – o que é muito raro para uma pesagem, usar o banheiro – e 20 minutos depois, bateu o peso, sem problemas.
Já Cané estará no seu lugar certo como peso-médio, na opinião do treinador.
– Ele era um peso-meio-pesado muito bom, mas era muito pequeno! Ele tinha 96kg, lutando contra caras de 113kg! Agora no peso-médio, ele vai ser um monstro – muito esbelto, muito rápido, e ainda com muita força.
Original article here
Cutting 32 Pounds Off Keith Jardine Was an ‘Easy Process,’ Says Mike Dolce
By Ben Fowlkes, MMA Writer, AOL’s MMAFighting.com
When former UFC light heavyweight contender Keith Jardine first started telling people that he wanted to drop to middleweight, the response was, shall we say, not terribly enthusiastic. He got polite nods from reporters and raised eyebrows from fans and fellow fighters. One prominent trainer who had worked with him in the past even asked me privately, “How? Is he going to cut off a leg?”
And yet, at Friday’s Strikeforce weigh-ins he stepped on the scale weighing 185 pounds on the dot for his title fight against Luke Rockhold on Saturday night. Like many fighters these days, he has nutritionist Mike Dolce to thank for it.
Dolce first met Jardine in 2009 when he was helping Quinton “Rampage” Jackson prepare to fight him at UFC 96. Though they were in opposing corners then, Dolce said, “I was impressed with his professionalism leading up to the fight and the way he conducted himself as a person.” So when Dolce saw that Jardine had quietly purchased his first “Dolce Diet” book — Three Weeks to Shredded — online, he reached out to the fighter to find out what he was hoping to accomplish.
“We spoke briefly that day and he mentioned a possible drop to middleweight at some point in his career,” Dolce said. “A few weeks later he called me after hearing a radio interview I had done and said he went and did his research on me and was very impressed with my lifestyle approach to health, as well as the success of my athletes. We spoke for a few hours that night and here we are today.”
When they first began the cut, Dolce said, the 36-year-old Jardine was 217 pounds “but made the statement the he was very lean and lethargic.” With 32 pounds still standing between him and the middleweight limit, that wasn’t a good sign, according to Dolce.
“You look at a weight cut that’s 30 pounds or more and yes, that’s drastic, but Keith was doing what a lot of athletes are doing: taking supplements and eating like a bodybuilder. No disrespect to those industries, but that’s not what I do.”
Instead, Dolce said, he got Jardine on a diet of “earth-grown nutrients” to maximize lean muscle and drop body fat. For most of his training camp for the Rockhold fight, Dolce said, Jardine was “walking around at 211 [pounds]…and in single-digit body fat levels.”
After that, he said, making the weight was only a matter of “temporarily drying out those muscles” before the weigh-in, thus allowing Jardine to step into the cage on fight night back at what Dolce refers to as “the sweet weight” — roughly the same weight he was maintaining three weeks before the fight. Thanks to his knowledge and Jardine’s discipline and training, Dolce said, “the weight-cut was an easy process for us.”
Doing all that with a fighter in his mid-30s who, by his own admission, hasn’t been down to this weight “since my freshman year of high school” might seem risky, but Dolce insisted that it’s a focus on health first that makes it possible.
“I know 25-year-old athletes who have the bodies of 45-year-olds,” Dolce said. “I make sure my athletes work closely with their doctors, get regular bloodwork, and are 100 percent healthy every second of every day. Like I said, I’m a longevity advocate. My goal is for my clients to live well past 100 years old. It’s nice if they make a few million dollars between their 20s and 30s, but my true objective is for them to show their great-great-grandkids pictures of their world title belts, rather than doing whatever is perceived necessary to win one.”
Jardine will get his chance to take home a strap on Saturday night. By clocking in at 185 pounds he’s already accomplished one feat that few people thought he was capable of. Now comes the other, slightly harder part.
Original article posted at MMAFighting.com Jan. 7 , 2012
by Steven Marrocco
Rest assured that Keith Jardine is just as concerned about his weight as everyone else. Even he’s expressed doubts looking at the numbers on the scale in recent weeks.
He hired a nutritionist to drop weight. Shouldn’t those numbers be smaller?
The answer is no – at least if he’s asking said nutritionist. Mike Dolce has been tinkering with calories longer than Jardine (17-9-2 MMA, 0-0-1 SF), and there’s not a bit of worry in him about Jardine’s path to middleweight, which begins Saturday against champ Luke Rockhold (8-1 MMA, 7-0 SF) at “Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine.”
“I was like 211 (pounds) a few weeks ago, and he’s all, ‘Nah, man, you’re way ahead of schedule,'” Jardine told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “Don’t worry about it. He will always give me examples of other guys he works with, so he always keeps my mind at ease.”
The middleweight title bout headlines the event, which includes a main card on Showtime. Preliminary-card fights air on Showtime Extreme.
Dolce’s list of clients isn’t a bunch of nobodies, so Jardine has reason to listen. And he’s relayed that sense of ease to the rest of the world – even as the minutes tick toward his time on the scale and his cut seems far too steep for a fight he took on less than full notice.
Like 15 pounds too steep.
That’s where Jardine said he was two days out from weigh-ins, which take place today at HRH Lounge at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. At the pre-event press conference, someone asked him about his weight.
“I’m big,” was his response.
Not exactly a vote of confidence for those expecting a middleweight title bout as opposed to a catchweight fiasco. It’s Jardine’s first time at 185 pounds after a long career at light heavyweight and heavyweight. He didn’t make a test cut to see if he could get there. Heck, he didn’t know he’d be going there for sure until he agreed to the bout this past month.
But he has faith in Dolce, and that’s worth something.
“Every time I start to panic about my weight, he’s right there,” Jardine said. “I’m just so confident right now. I’m not even worried about it.”
What’s more, Jardine said he’s been able to lose pounds without going crazy with starvation.
“I’m eating every few hours, and usually this time of the week, I’m feeling pretty lethargic, and I’m not,” he said. “I feel like I could go get a great workout in, which is a pretty strange feeling. But I’m loving it.”
Jardine will need his energy on Saturday night. He could be fighting Rockhold for up to 25 minutes, something he’s never before done in his career. Rockhold hasn’t lost in more than three years, and this past September, he delivered a breakthrough performance against Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza that won him the belt.
That kind of traction has eluded Jardine during his time in the UFC, which was marked by a long losing streak that erased the momentum of several high-profile victories. His Strikeforce debut this past April ended with a thud when he fought Gegard Mousasi to a draw.
Fighters feed a whole host of platitudes to fans about their training camps, weight cuts and thoughts on opponents, so until Jardine steps into the cage and redlines it against Rockhold, it won’t be known whether Dolce’s work was in vain.
Hopefully not. The 36-year-old Jardine wants to blaze a new, leaner trail.
“It just occurred to me last night – I had no idea I’m right at 30 (fights) right now,” he said. “When I re-evaluated my career and what I hadn’t done and what I need, it’s that belt. And that’s what this fight means for me. After I win it on Saturday, I’m going to be so excited.”
Origial article here
