“Animals don’t use machines,” – Conor McGregor on his diet and his gym routine

It takes the right kind of fuel for Conor McGregor to become an animal.

McGregor was expecting to make his UFC lightweight debut in UFC 196's main event. However, an injury to then-champion Rafael dos Anjos meant that he had to take a short-notice fight against Nate Diaz at 170 lb. To pack on those extra pounds in the build-up to the fight, McGregor admitted to eating eating steak for "breakfast, lunch and dinner' in an excellent interview with AskMen. However, this marked a deviation from the norm, as he usually sticks to a very clean diet.

"My diet is usually pretty consistent whether I’m training for a specific fight or not," McGregor said. "I don’t like to mess too much with it. I try to eat healthy all the time. I don’t eat takeaways. I drink mostly water or coconut water. It’s important to stay hydrated."

The UFC featherweight champion's diet is exactly what you'd expect from a professional athlete competing at the highest level. It's high in protein, low in carbohydrates while he makes sure to take in enough fruits and vegetables.

"First thing I do in the morning is stretch and drink water. I eat good meat - chicken, salmon, some steak and a lot of quality greens and some fruits like bananas. I eat eggs - an omelette with my Americano for a late breakfast or brunch." "I don’t eat a lot of carbs, if I do it’s something like sweet potatoes. Getting enough protein is important when I train, to help build muscle and recover, so I’ll supplement with protein shakes. The new SYNTHA-6 EDGE from BSN works for me because it gives me a load of protein, but without a bunch of carbs or fat."

As far as what he does in the gym to prepare to for battle, McGregor adopts an animalistic approach to training. It's not really a surprising revelation considering he has famously worked with movement coach Ido Portal in the past, who puts the focus on developing movement and using body weight exercises as opposed to shifting tin.

"I’m not a fan of routine. I mean, people do what they think works for them, but the sport is about instinct, movement, balance, power… it’s too animalistic to get rigid about your training. I don’t use machines. Animals don’t use machines. Machines don’t use machines."

The training doesn't stop once he walks out those gym doors either. He listens to his body and lets the machine decide when more work needs to be done.

"Training to me isn’t about a set time at the gym - I move at all times of the day and night. I feel it when I need to train and I do what I feel like I need to do. I don’t get obsessed with one style or one skill. Seems like people get obsessed about times and numbers and weights and that - I’m obsessed with winning. I eat, sleep and breathe training."

We'll see if his obsession with winning pays off yet again when he steps into the Octagon to take on lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez in UFC 205's main event on Novmber 12. Catch up with the latest episode of Football Friday Live: