Tag: the dolce diet

We at THE DOLCE DIET would like you to share your story so we can shout your achievements from the rooftops!
Did you lose 10 lbs? 30 lbs? 100 lbs? Gain the muscle you wanted? Come off the meds? Win that tournament? Finish that 5k? Tell us & you could receive a free Dolce Diet t-shirt if your story is featured on our site!
We’re looking for before and after photos to accompany your written testimonial Write as little or as much as you’d like. We just want to hear from you!
Use the form below to tell us all about YOU!

---

By Jonathan Shrager

Though he first landed on our radars as a competitor on TUF 7, fighter/trainer Mike Dolce has become much more famous for The Dolce Diet — the health and nutrition system he employs to help MMA stars hit their weight limits while retaining peak performance on fight-day. Fresh off his wizard-like guidance of Thiago Alves earlier this month, we decided to get the Living Lean author on the phone to find out exactly how he does it. Enjoy…

JONATHAN SHRAGER: Hi Mike, thanks for taking the time to talk with us. You are arguably the most renowned nutritionist in MMA nowadays.
MIKE DOLCE: Well, thank you. I prefer “performance coach” actually, but people often refer to me as a nutritionist because I’ve become synonymous with The Dolce Diet, so I understand why. I do quite a bit, including nutrition and Strength & Conditioning.
So who is the current crop of fighters that you’re working with?
Thiago Alves, of course, with whom I travelled to England. Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, Jake Ellenberger, Jay Hieron, Mike Pyle, and I started working with Jorge Masvidal in advance of his Strikeforce lightweight title fight with Gilbert Melendez. Jorge is a great guy and a super-talented athlete.
I recently interviewed Jorge, and he confessed his love of junk food including McDonald’s. Have you ever caught him attempting to eat any junk food behind your back? Is his love for McDonald’s difficult to contain?
Haha! No, Jorge is very committed to performing at the top of his potential. He is so dedicated to his craft, there is nothing to pull him off course. But he did admit his love of McDonald’s to me and we agreed that would be his victory celebration.
Post-fight, do you allow your fighters a little leeway to have a week off and eat what they want? Do you yourself ever celebrate with the fighters by eating some greasy or sugary foods?
Yes, I employ a principle of earned meals, a concept established to allow athletes or individuals to enjoy a meal that may not be consistent with their goals. For my athletes, I usually give them until Wednesday after the fight to ignore my phone calls before we start dialing their lifestyle back in. The great thing about guys or girls who follow The Dolce Diet, is that they lose the old cravings for junk and instead just look for larger portions of what we’ve been eating all camp. After a fight, I’ll usually indulge in a burger or slice of pizza with the team, but that’s usually because we don’t leave the venue until after midnight and our options are limited.
Following his fight with Frank Mir, Dana White suggested that Roy Nelson should try to make 205 lbs in an attempt to rejuvenate himself and his career. Roy subsequently claimed that this would require him to lose a limb, but now he says he’ll try to do it if he gets enough Facebook fans. Would you be the man to help Roy shed the belly?
Well, I don’t want to use Roy’s name specifically, but when I worked with Rampage, he began his training camp at 255 pounds, and he made 205 pretty easily. Quinton is shorter than Roy, and Roy, at his heaviest, weighs 260 pounds. So, if Rampage can achieve it, and he probably has more muscle, then I think it’s safe to predict that Roy could make 205.
And do you think that 205 would prove to be Roy’s optimal fighting weight?
I think that Roy looked great in his fight at heavyweight against Cro Cop. With that being said, I think he’s fine at heavyweight. What makes a guy like Roy so special is that he could fight in two different weight classes. If he doesn’t have to lose the weight then why should he? I’m a health advocate more than a performance coach, so being healthy is the most important thing.
After working with Quinton Jackson prior to the Rashad and Machida fights, you weren’t part of his coaching staff in the build up to Jon Jones. Are you and Quinton on good terms?
The schedule has really become a problem. I don’t leave guys that retain my services for somebody that may have a higher profile. I was booked before Quinton’s fight with Jonny Bones, and Quinton understands. He and I had a great conversation in which he told me that he knew this issue might arise because of my talent in the area of health, nutrition, and fitness. It’s not a bad problem to face, but unfortunately I’m not able to work with everybody for every camp. I have been booked solid for up to four months but I prefer not to commit to anything too much further in advance.
How does your role work logistically if you collaborate with multiple fighters? Do you focus solely on one fighter at a time during their training camps?
I do work with one athlete specifically, and then I’ll work with a couple athletes as close as I can. I was living with Thiago prior to his fight in the UK against Papy Abedi, but also Jake Ellenberger, Chael Sonnen, and Gray Maynard all fought during that timeframe. So, I would leave for their weight-cuts and the weigh-ins, to be present for the fighters at the last hurdle. But throughout the entire process I would consult with the fighters on multiple occasions every single day. Fighters text me their weight upon waking up, and how they’re feeling during the day, so it’s a hands-on process. I work with ten athletes consistently, but the one who books me first is the one I’ll physically be with throughout the training camp.
Is weigh-in day even more stressful for you than fight night?
For me it is. My job focuses on the health and peak performance of my athlete. The scale inevitably stands in the way of that main objective. We must fulfill the contractual obligation to weigh in at a predetermined weight — usually much lighter than the athlete normally walks around at — without doing any harm to their body, which would adversely affect performance. Once we get by the scale, everything else is a breeze.
What’s the most drastic cut that you’ve had to help a fighter achieve?
I helped Duane “BANG” Ludwig lose over 40 pounds in less than two weeks to take a short-notice fight against Jim Miller in January 2010. What made that cut even harder is that Duane fought in early December, went on vacation with his family and fully embraced the typical holiday menu. But, Duane is such a strong individual, it is doubtful any other athlete could have done that. I have had other guys lose nearly 60 pounds in less than eight weeks. Of course, health is always the most important factor and we strive to accomplish such goals in the healthiest manner possible.
I saw Mike Pyle eating a Nutella and banana sandwich on rye bread during one of his blogs, as recommended by “The Dolce Diet.” Are there any other foods which you recommend that people may be surprised by?
Most people are actually shocked when they read my book, The Dolce Diet: Living Lean, because of all the recipes it contains that I use with my athletes. We have pasta, pancakes, omelets, fried chicken, and many other delicious meals. The difference lays in my selection of ingredients and the preparation techniques that turn garbage into gold. Anyone can eat boiled chicken breasts and steamed broccoli but my approach is to embrace the natural flavor of whole foods, which is why guys like Belfort, Alves, Rampage, Maynard, Ellenberger and many more of the sport’s elite chose to work with me. I add enjoyment to an otherwise Spartan existence.
Would you relish the challenge of working with fighters who are notorious for missing weight such as Paul Daley?
I don’t necessarily relish the challenge of “who can drop the most weight,” but instead embrace the duty to help these guys achieve their goals while maintaining a vibrant state of health. I am first and foremost a longevity advocate and my number one priority is to keep these guys healthy. In my view, the healthier an athlete is, the better the athlete will be able to perform. This is why I employ a whole-foods method combined with intelligent periodization and restorative methods to produce world-class performances. This, I believe, is the future of peak performance.
You work with a lot of Brazilian fighters, and Chael Sonnen. What are your Brazilian clients’ opinions on Chael and his recent remarks about their country? Is Chael as funny behind the scenes when you are working with him on a daily basis as he appears to be on camera?
Chael is a polarizing character, but most of the people I talk to love what he is doing for the sport. He creates excitement outside of the cage and certainly backs it up when he steps inside. Of course, some people don’t like a few of the things he says, but the general consensus is that he is hilarious. In my own experiences with him, Chael has a great sense of humor, a warm heart, and actually, a brilliant mind. I would put him on stage with Howard Stern, John Stewart, and Bill Maher, and have full confidence that Chael would talk circles around those guys.
Follow Mike Dolce on Twitter @TheDolceDiet, and pick up his book Living Lean on Amazon.com!

by Daniel Patinkin March 2, 2012
StudioMMA
STUDIOMMA, VENICE, CA — Nicknamed the “Patron Saint of Weight Cutting,” strength and conditioning coach Mike Dolce has successfully prepared numerous MMA stars for battle, among them Quinton “Rempage” Jackson, Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort, Duane “Bang” Ludwig, Chael Sonnen, and Thiago “The Pitbull” Alves.
Tonight, Alves enters the UFC octagon against the always dangerous Martin “Hitman” Kampmann, in a scrap that could put one of the fighters within arm’s reach of a title shot. Yesterday, StudioMMA’s own Bobby Cavian had an opportunity to explore some interesting aspects of the sport with Dolce.
Dolce has spent the last six weeks working exclusively with The Pitbull, but the couple of months prior to that presented a revolving door of opportunity. Since December, he has conditioned Johnny Hendricks for UFC 141 in Vegas, Ludwig for UFC on FX in Nashville, and Sonnen for the UFC on Fox in Chicago. But the most controversial of his recent assignments culminated at UFC 142 in Brazil, for which Dolce prepped Belfort. There, for once, it was not the remarkable diet and shape of Dolce’s athlete that was in the spotlight, it was the poor condition of Belfort’s opponent Anthony Johnson. Johnson notoriously missed weight by eleven pounds, a debacle that Dolce discussed with Cavian.
“[Johnson’s] story was that his legs stopped working and he collapsed due to all these health issues when he was close to making the weight. That’s what almost happens to every athlete: when they reach their weight class during the weigh-in, they are not very healthy. Cutting weight is not healthy. I am the first one who said I wish that athletes did not cut weight. But they do. [Anthony Johnson missing weight] took the luster away from a spectacular fight between two great athletes… Vitor was very disappointed at Anthony’s lack of professionalism. But also, we were concerned that Johnson’s team was using this as a tactic to gain an advantage over Vitor: that they were not cutting weight properly and they were going to keep Anthony big, strong and healthy and gladly give away twenty percent of his purse in order to better his chances of being victories over Vitor Belfort, which would do much more for his career than money that he lost. So we were very concerned about that issue. But Vitor showed the heart of a champion by going out there and getting the first-round finish like he did.”
Generally, Dolce’s attitude toward cutting weight is openly negative.
“I am longevity advocate and a health advocate before anything else. So I always recommend doing whats healthiest for the athlete. In a perfect world the athlete would compete at his natural weight. I call it the ‘sweet weight.’ That’s when the athlete is three weeks before the fight. And that’s when he is in best condition… [The] athlete has trained hard for six to seven weeks and he is lean and ready to go. That’s the perfect weight. It is unfortunate that athletes continue to cut weight. And that’s typically not to gain an advantage anymore, but to reduce a disadvantage that the other athlete might gain by being twenty or thirty pounds heavier at the fight night.”
Dolce has a well-developed and specific diet strategy that he espouses for all of his athletes.
“[They should eat pimarily] earth-grown nutrients from real foods — foods that have sustained life on this planet since the dawn of time. That’s the secret… Stay away from any man-made chemicals, toxins, and preservatives, which are really just a money making scheme. So once we are eating earth-grown nutrients, then the body has everything it needs to function at its utmost capacity. That means that if the athlete is training properly he will reach his optimal level of lean mass. That means he is not carrying any excess weight. Once the athlete is in that position, then it’s mild dehydration through water restrictions and electrolyte manipulation that will shed the last few pounds.”
Dolce’s work with his fighters is very meticulous and detail oriented. Typically, during a training camp, he is ever-present, as he has been with Alves over the past six weeks.
“So, for this camp I moved into [Thiago’s] house and got a spare room. We live like roommates. I make the breakfast. Then we go the gym, train, and go home to eat. We relax, then eat again, and get back to the gym. So its a twenty-four hours a day, all the way up to the fight!”
But, as much as it is a science, weight-cutting is an art, and not always perfect. Thiago Alves, in particular, has repeatedly struggled to hit the right number on the scale. At his last weigh-in before a fight with Papi Abedi, he initially came in one pound heavy, an amount of weight that Alves was able to shed in time for a second weigh-in one hour later. Dolce thinks that MMA pundits did not respond fairly to this incident.
“People watch Nascar racing and they want to see car crashes. People watch NFL football to see the big hits, and people watch fighting to see the KO. People want to see the bad, the worse, and then point and say ‘look how bad that guy did!’ That’s unfortunate. Even today, when we did media, half of the questions were about Thiago’s weight! They are looking for the negative story; that’s what makes the headlines. In fact, one of the major websites, after the [Abedi] fight, put up on their headline that ‘Thiago Alves Misses Weight.’ That was their headline! From a journalistic standpoint, that was extremely unprofessional, because it was not accurate. Thiago made weight officially.”
For tonight’s UFC on FX, Alves came in a half-pound below the limit. So no problems there. Moreover, Dolce is confident that we will see a leaner, meaner Pitbull step into the cage. He discussed some of the details of how Alves did things right this time around.
“Thiago and I stay in touch year-round. I structure his workouts and send emails when I’m not there so that we are on the same page. I know exactly what he is eating and I speak with his coaches. They tell me about Thiago’s performance and training, so that when I get there a few weeks before the fight we don’t have to start the work from scratch. Once I’m with him, I troubleshoot if needed, and make sure he has everything he needs to unlock his full potential and perform. Six weeks ago Thiago was 197 pounds. He has dropped 27 pounds since then. … in this fight with Martin Kampmann, you will see what a true combat athlete looks like.
Thiago is not in this game for the money. He wants the world title. He wants to beat the best fighter in the world. That’s why we asked for Martin Kampmann, who is a very dangerous opponent. Thiago Alves is looking to make a statement with this fight. He wants to show the UFC and welterweight division exactly who Thiago Alves really is.”

VIDEO: THIAGO PITBULL ALVES 21 HOURS BEFORE UFC AUSTRALIA WEIGH-INS

PHOTO: Thiago Alves talks with reporters at the UFC open workouts in Sydney, Australia. Alves fights Martin Kampmann in a main event, welterweight bout March 3 at Allphones Arena.
(Airs March 2 on FX in the US)

Take a look as Thiago “Pitbull” Alves pushes his mind and body past the point of breaking during a Dolce-structured, ultra-fastpaced endurance run in preparation for his March 3rd main-event bout with Martin Kampmann in Sydney, Australia for UFC on FX2.

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.
MMAjunkie.com Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by Gorgeous George, MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Goze. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

 

Check out our DOLCE DIET APPROVED SUPER BOWL SNACKS at MyDolceDiet.com

The Muay Thai kickboxing veteran spoke with MMAmania.com during a special guest appearance on The Verbal Submission
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): Something else I saw which I think is really interesting is that you’re on the Dolce Diet for this fight. Usually people use that when they need help dropping weight to make sure they’re body recovers but you were a guy who entered the UFC in your most recent run as a lightweight and then went back up to welterweight. How is the Dolce Diet helping you for this fight? Is it just to give you more energy? Can you kind of explain what you expect?
Duane Ludwig: Well I’ve known Mike Dolce for three years and I’ve used him to make the cut to ’55 and it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be making 155 for my last couple fights but it’s just too much of a stretch and a struggle to make 155 that my focus was always on the diet and not on getting better as an athlete so I decided to go to 170 based on quite a few people’s recommendations including Mike Dolce and no matter what weight you’re fighting at, you want to do it correctly and the Dolce Diet is what’s done correctly. If you follow on that and stick to it, you can be the best athlete you can be nutritional-wise which is definitely for health for sure, you definitely have more energy, your attention and attentiveness for training, the fight itself and the recovery aspect. There’s a lot to the Dolce Diet than just losing weight. It’s also making sure you have proper weight and the ideal weight no matter what weight you want to fight at. You get the ideal performance anyways.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): When you entered the UFC as a lightweight, we’ve seen a lot of fighters as they age and become veterans, they bump up a weight class. We’ve seen guys like Dan Henderson, Frank Trigg, B.J. Penn, was that more of a process of you felt a lot more comfortable at welterweight? The results have shown.
Duane Ludwig: Yeah, definitely because I’ve been walking around at 190, 195 for the last three or four years so making 155 has always been a struggle for me. Now that I’m lifting weights and I’m on a little bit different form of the Dolce Diet, making 170 is much easier. I’m actually at a restaurant with my family eating. When I train, when I lift weights and when I step on the mat, I focus on getting better and not just counting calories now. The mental shift now, versus fighting at lightweight is totally different.
READ ENTIRE TRANSCRIPT HERE