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by Damon Martin
MMAWEEKLY.COM
Fighters finding new life at a different weight class is a tale as old as time in MMA, but how they go about making that change can be all the difference in the world.
UFC fighter Nik Lentz is making the move down to 145lbs for his next fight and he’s enlisted the best in the business to ensure he gets down there safely with the maximum performance possible.
MMA nutritionist guru and best selling author Mike Dolce has taken over the day-to-day duties to help Lentz as he moves down to featherweight for his next bout in the Octagon.
The two crossed paths at UFC on Fox 2 in Chicago when Lentz was facing Evan Dunham, while Dolce was in town helping old friend Chael Sonnen with his weight cut as he got ready for his bout against Michal Bisping.
“He was on the same card as Chael (Sonnen) in Chicago, so I was with Chael cutting weight and I saw Nik. We don’t know each other very well but we exchanged pleasantries and what not, and about two weeks after the fight I get a phone call from Nik,” Dolce said when speaking to MMAWeekly.com.
“He wanted to talk to me because he saw how easy Chael’s cut was, and it was so organized and all the things we were doing, and he wanted to talk to me just a little bit about what I knew.”
“We got talking and I asked him my basic list of introductory questions, body weight, things like that and it turns out two weeks after the fight with eating, not training at all, and eating pure junk food he was 173lbs. When he said 173lbs it took me back for a moment because normally after a fight, your body retains a ton of water, sodium, your body just naturally swells up. I realized he’s not a big lightweight, he’s a very small lightweight.”
Dolce has known about Lentz for a while, but had recently helped another fighter, Mark Bocek, prepare for a fight with him when getting his body right for the weight cut.
Once he found out how little weight Lentz actually had to cut, it amazed him he was competitive the way he had been at 155lbs considering some of the massive animals competing in that weight class.
Mark Bocek, who Dolce helped in preparation to face Lentz, walks around in the 190lb range before cutting down to 155lbs. Evan Dunham, who defeated Lentz on the UFC on Fox 2 card, bulks up to nearly 200lbs before a fight.
So hearing that Lentz was only cutting such a small amount of weight automatically put him at a disadvantage come fight time.
Dolce believes that the future for Lentz at featherweight is much, much brighter than an already solid career at 155lbs. Overall, Lentz had gone 5-2-1 (1 no contest) during his UFC career, with all fights taking place at lightweight.
“Nik is giving up 20lbs against really tough guys and taking them the distance. Imagine what this kid could do at 145. I really believe at 145, Nik Lentz will walk through the entire division and get the belt. I think he’s that good, I believe he’s that good,” said Dolce.
“I’m excited to be on board with him.”
The work has already begun for Lentz to make the cut down to 145lbs. Like with all his athletes, Dolce has stayed in constant contact with the fighter to make sure his daily routine is going well, and he’s hopeful for Lentz to make his featherweight debut later this summer.
However, if UFC matchmaker Joe Silva needs a late replacement, Lentz will be more than ready when the call is made.
“We work together everyday now. If Joe Silva called today and said we need you to make 145 on Friday, we’ll do it, done deal. We can do that if we have to,” said Dolce.
“I’d like to see him fight in July, maybe mid-July, this summer. To really give him to settle into the new weight class, deal with the new body weight. Basically, we’re giving him a high performance vehicle and we’d like to give him a little time to use all the bells and whistles, and all the new toys he has to play with.”
April’s issue of Train Hard, Fight Easy magazine features the second article in a three-part series written by renowned weight management expert and performance coach, Mike Dolce. The founder of The Dolce Diet™ details why cutting carbohydrates and water could be setting athletes up for defeat.
If we are only focused on the scale this method can work, but if we are concerned with maintaining vibrant health and producing a career defining performance, you may want to think twice.
Pick up Train Hard, Fight Easy magazine on all major newsstands now.
Mike took UFC Magazine Australia food shopping in Sydney where he explained his 10 essential food items. Read the article in this month’s Aussie edition of UFC Magazine on newsstands now!
Congratulations to John Alessio on his recent unanimous decision victory over Ryan Healy. The two lightweights put on an exciting all-out war before a capacity crowd at Hamilton Place Theatre in Hamilton, Ontario, in The Score Fighting Series.
Mike Dolce always gives us something to think about when it comes to nutrition and this time is no different. Check out the exclusive diet tips that he gives MMA Weekly listeners including how he would set up YOUR day to lose weight. Mike also tells us about the Thiago Alves fight and gives us a look behind the scenes when Vitor was told Rumble wouldn’t make weight. Mike tells us what was more insulting than even him not making weight.
LISTEN HERE:
MyDolceDiet.com is a social network community of over 6,000 people like you and me who enjoy living a healthy lifestyle. It’s free to sign up, so go ahead and take a look. SIGN UP FOR FREE HERE
The purveyor of The Dolce Diet, Mike Dolce, sits down for some real talk on dieting and weight cutting in MMA. For more than an hour, Dolce and Sherdog’s Jack Encarnacao explore every angle of one the most misunderstood, important and dangerous aspects of the sport.
Catch the SRN Rewind, Sunday, March 18, at 9 p.m. ET. LISTEN HERE AT SHERDOG RADIO
Mike Dolce’s latest article in Train Hard, Fight Easy magazine is the second installment in a three-part series in which he details his elite weight-cutting process. Check out the April 2012 issue at local newsstands near you.
