Timothy Bradley preparing for Manny Pacquiao by eating all of his vegetables
Timothy Bradley isn't a tall guy, but there is no one who has seen him who would say the super lightweight champion is not big. Bradley, who will move up to welterweight to face Manny Pacquiao on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, is massive in the arms and through the chest and shoulders.
The unbeaten Bradley told Jason Gay of the Wall Street Journal that he once was a "meat and potatoes guy," but he now maintains his powerful physique with a vegan diet.
He is such a regular at the Palm Greens Cafe in his hometown of Palm Springs, Calif., that the restaurant manager named one of its smoothies after him. The Bradley Ultra Green includes spinach, kale, mint, ginger, probiotic, bananas, aloe vera, apple juice and Spirulina.
Tydel Wilson, the manager of Palm Greens, told Gay that Bradley visits the restaurant twice a day when he's in training.
He's such a great patron. He knows most of the people here.
Bradley said he began a vegan diet in 2008 and has maintained it when he trains to this day. He joked that he doesn't eat vegan year-round because his wife, Monica, couldn't take it.
But he said he feels much more energetic eating vegan than he did when he was eating a meat-based diet.
Dude, I swear, it's the most unbelievable feeling ever. The reason I love it so much is that I feel connected to the world. My thoughts are clearer, crisp. I am sharp. Everything is working perfectly — I feel clean. It's a weird feeling, man. It's just a weird feeling.
He'll need everything he can get to get past Pacquiao and win the World Boxing Organization welterweight title. Pacquiao is No. 2 in the Yahoo! Sports boxing ratings behind only Floyd Mayweather Jr. and hasn't lost March 19, 2005. Since that time, Pacquiao has gone 15-0 with eight knockouts and has won world titles at super featherweight, lightweight, super lightweight, welterweight and super welterweight.
Bradley, though, isn't concerned. He's 28-0 with 12 knockouts and told Gay he's confident of victory.
It's new blood going against old blood. I'm in my prime, man.
A victory over Pacquiao would be a life-changing moment for him. And if he does it, he can thank a life-changing decision he made in 2008, when he decided to adopt the vegan lifestyle.
