Former UFC champion Lyoto Machida used the strangest pre-fight routine you've probably heard of on his way to earning the light heavyweight belt.
Lyoto Machida is considered one of the UFC's greatest light heavyweights in the promotion's history after a decorated career in the Octagon. He defeated the likes of Randy Couture, Shogun Rua and Rashad Evans during his UFC tenure.
Machida's high-level offense, combined with a slick ground game, caused him headaches for his opponents inside the cage. He started his career 16-0 and knocked out Evans at UFC 98 to become the UFC's light heavyweight champion.
In addition to technique and perseverance, Machida's UFC success is also attributed to a bizarre routine he used throughout his career, including prior to his title win against Evans.
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Lyoto Machida drank his own urine during his combat camps
In a 2009 interview with Brazil's Tatame, Machida said he routinely drank his urine before his world title fight against Rashad Evans.
“My dad did that for a long time and brought it to us,” Machida said. “People think it's a joke. I never said it in the United States because I don't know how the fans will react. I drink my urine every morning as a natural medicine.” (h/t Yahoo Sports)
In a separate interview with Ariel Helwani in 2010, Machida's father, Yoshizo, explained the method behind the madness.
“Sometimes it's sweet, sometimes it's salty, it all depends on what you eat,” Yoshizo said. “It's like a vaccine: if you take a vaccine for a disease, you're using it for what you're trying to fight… it's for health reasons. When you eat and digest all the food, it flushes out your system when you drink your own urine.
Machida's routine inspired other UFC legends, like Fabricio Werdum, to try it out for themselves. But none of them matched the results as well as Machida.
Lyoto Machida's disgusting habit adds to the lore of the UFC
Machida's left MMA fight came at Bellator 281 and fell to Fabian Edwards by knockout in the first round. Before a four-fight losing streak, Machida had recent victories over Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort and Eryk Anders.
According to WebMD, there is no evidence of health benefits surrounding urine ingestion. But that didn't stop Machida from using the head-scratching routine throughout his career with positive results in the cage.
Machida is one of many UFC fighters who employed unconventional practices before fights. From Diego Sanchez's controversial work with Joshua Fabia to Georges St-Pierre's nipple-twisting, fighters are a rare breed.
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