Renowned former UFC welterweight contender Nate Diaz is not only famous for his anti-hero persona and trash-talking demeanor but also for his commitment to a vegan lifestyle. Hailing from Stockton, Diaz embraced veganism at a tender age of 18.
Despite the rugged nature of his profession, Diaz has managed to excel in the octagon while maintaining his vegan lifestyle.
While Diaz thinks that following veganism is a good idea, popular podcaster and UFC commentator Joe Rogan has spoken against it. Rogan has expressed his belief that the vegan lifestyle is unnatural for humans and contends that Diaz cannot be considered a “true” vegan since he consumes eggs and fish.
On his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, he openly stated: “Nah, he doesn’t eat vegan. They keep saying that. That’s not true. I mean, he eats eggs and fish, and I mean, I don’t know if he’s still eating fish.”
Rogan continued: “But he certainly was at one point of time. But the vegans love to claim him. Because it’s nonsense. They just tried to find just one person who’s like elite on a vegan diet.”
Rogan goes further to assert that a vegan diet is not only potentially detrimental to human health but also raises concerns about its environmental impact. He argues that farming has a more significant negative effect on the planet compared to raising cattle for consumption.
In an interview, Diaz said he attempted veganism in order to become stronger and more focused.vAfter his first match as a vegan, he resumed eating dairy and meat.
Diaz apparently felt nauseous from this for more than a month. He then committed to being a vegan. But, he has acknowledged consuming dairy and eggs in moderation.
Nate Diaz’s pioneering role in adopting a vegan lifestyle has inspired other UFC competitors to consider this dietary path. One such combatant is UFC women’s strawweight Karolina Kowalkiewicz, who embraced veganism in 2019 to address Hashimoto’s disease. This autoimmune condition results in the body attacking the thyroid gland.
Apart from them, other UFC competitors who have chosen veganism are his brother Nick Diaz and UFC featherweight Alex Caceres. Caceres decided to adopt a vegan lifestyle at the age of 24.