Ian Machado Garry says a vegan diet changed everything for his UFC career. After suffering infections and depleted immunity during weight cuts, the Irishman switched to a plant-based diet five years ago. He has since won 9 of his next 10 fights, earning a welterweight title shot against Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 in Philadelphia on 15 August.

Machado Garry says his body no longer has to "work harder internally" to digest food, and his rest, recovery, and output have improved dramatically. He points to short-notice wins over Carlos Prates and Shavkat Rakhmonov as proof of his transformation. "I don't think I would have been able to fight Prates and Rakhmonov on seven days' notice before," he said.

A win over Makhachev would make Machado Garry the first Irish UFC champion since Conor McGregor and deny the Russian a record 17th consecutive victory. Machado Garry has also partnered with Peta to raise awareness about animal welfare and the environment, and says he hopes to be a more humanised role model in MMA.