Fighter nutritionist Mike Dolce has got something to say about Cain Velasquez, and it's not all enticing.
Dolce has made himself known through the diet and nutrition programs he gives various UFC fighters. Some of his notable clients are Chael Sonnen, Thiago Silva, Mike Pyle, former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks, and reigning women's bantamweight champion "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey.
In an interview with Bloody Elbow's Steph Daniels, Dolce spoke about what he thinks about Velasquez in terms of the heavyweight champion's physique.
"Guys like Cain (Velasquez) that are extremely dominant, because he's such a genetic freak, I can still say, and any sports science person in the industry will agree, he's not competing at his optimal body weight," said Dolce. "He may have good results with his competition performance, but truly, that's not an optimal body weight."
At 265-pounds, Velasquez's UFC career has been nothing less than stellar. With his lone defeat being in the hands of former champion Junior "Cigano" Dos Santos when they first fought at UFC's debut on FOX Sports in November 2011, he has managed to barrel through every opposition thrown at him.
That being said, he has proved time and time again that he is indeed a force to reckon with in the UFC, and in the entire game of mixed martial arts as a whole. But according to Dolce, Velasquez can still do a lot better if he were fighting at the right weight.
"He may have good results with his competition performance, but truly, that's not an optimal body weight," Dolce added.
In its two-decade existence, mixed martial arts through the UFC has evolved many more times than any other sport, and as years go by, it has continued to do so at a very rapid pace. During MMA's early days, heavyweights ranged from champion boxers to sumo wrestlers weighing more than 300-pounds.
But as it continues to move towards the direction of being a legitimate global sports brand, the level of competition in the UFC and mixed martial arts boosts up as well. This is the main reason why Dolce believes that for Velasquez to carry the extra weight can only be a liability more than an asset to his further development as an elite professional fighter.
"These athletes have a much higher physical demand than any other athlete on the planet," Dolce explained. "Carrying around that extra weight just does not suit itself for this career."
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