Photo: Airman 1st Class Riley Johnson, U.S. Air Force via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
Plant-based featherweight Alex Caceres has won five straight fights in the UFC, and he did it the hard way. "Bruce Leeroy" was dropped three times in the first round by South Korea's Seung Woo Choi at UFC Vegas 41 on Saturday, October 23, then took his back and forced the tap with a rear-naked choke at 3:31 of round two.
Caceres started well, reddening Choi's legs with kicks, before a right hand put him down. While he scrambled to get up he took an illegal knee that dropped him again and cost Choi a point, and another right put him on the canvas before the bell, Cageside Press reports. Going into round two the live betting had Choi as a massive favorite. Late in the round Caceres clinched, spun Choi round, climbed onto his back and sank the choke.
The finish earned him Performance of the Night. It also extends the best run of his career, after wins over Steven Peterson, Chase Hooper, Austin Springer and Kevin Croom.
Caceres changed the way he eats after watching a documentary. Back in 2012 he told UFC.com:
One of the movies that had a big impact on me, on my diet, was 'Forks Over Knives'. It really showed us that most of the food we're eating in this Westernized diet is actually the opposite of what we think it is and it is very detrimental to our health.
He cut out dairy, processed foods and processed meat, and was clear that he wasn't "completely a vegan". But the change gave him "this excess amount of energy", he said, and above all "the clarity of thought". Nearly a decade on he is still eating mainly plant-based, and coming back from three knockdowns suggests the tank is in good shape.
Caceres has been on a roll since he beat Chase Hooper at UFC 250 and then submitted Austin Springer last year. Plant-based fighters have a habit of winning ugly ones, from Nate Diaz's shock win over Conor McGregor to his return to beat Anthony Pettis after three years away.
No meat, no problem.