MMA's The Bully Goes Vegan, Eat & Run

Gray Maynard is known as The Bully. At 33, he's one of the top lightweight fighters in the world. He may be a bully in the ring; claiming victories over elite fighters like Nate Diaz, Jim Miller, Kenny Florian and champion Frankie Edgar - but when it comes to animals, he channels his strength into the skilled endeavor of being a protector.

On May 27th, comedian and vegan Jamie Kilsten tweeted at Maynard "@GrayMaynard all the animal info you tweet is awesome man. Ever think about going vegan?" to which Maynard responded, "@jamiekilstein kinda already am."

Gray Maynard's next fight is Friday, June 22 from 5PM to Saturday, June 23 at 1AM EST UFC on FX 4: Maynard vs. Guida

The amount of success that high-level athletes are experiencing on a plant-based diet seems to be causing both a surge in the popularity of veganism as well as a reconsideration of traditional (albeit heavily marketed and funded) understanding of nutrition. According to The Discerning Brute contributor, Matt Ruscigno, RD, ultramarathoner Scott Jurek is largely responsible for this surge, being one of the first popular athletes to speak openly about veganism, and about conceptualizing food as fuel. Jurek's new book, Eat & Run, is available everywhere.

In a nutrition research climate that was established in the 1940's,  where industry often determines which studies are funded and conducted, which are popularized, and ultimately, how the majority of people relying on mainstream news sources think about food, it's difficult to combat prevailing ideas without rivaling budgets. But steadily and with increasing velocity, the truth about nutrition is coming to light through undeniable evidence.