Incredible Bulk: Overeem Discusses Diet

I have a lazy habit of comparing well-built fighters to action figures. “That James Irvin, body by Mattel.” Ha, ha, ha. So very clever. Yes.

In assessing the increasing proportions of Alistair Overeem, the analogy (thankfully) ceases to work: Overeem, who looks to have softballs stuffed in his arms, makes He-Man look like a malnourished hobo. Combat sports usually strip you of lean mass through intense conditioning -- the same conditioning that burns so many calories you can’t usually entertain the idea of putting weight on.

Yet Overeem continues to grow. In this K-1 promotional video, he discusses his nutritional choices. “I like beef,” he says, hovering over a frying pan. “Beef makes you strong. Cow beef, horse beef…horse is very good protein. Better than beef.” He rattles off more from the menu: Yogurt, quark, potatoes, nuts, fish, and genetics. “My mother’s a strong woman, big.”

Overeem competes in the K-1 Grand Prix, an eight-man elimination tournament, Saturday.