UFC 243: Luke Jumeau heads to clash with Dhiego Lima a different fighter after turning back on 'bro science'

Luke Jumeau. New Zealand Herald photograph by Michael Craig

By Christopher Reive in Melbourne

When Luke Jumeau returns to the UFC octagon this weekend after 20 months on the sidelines, he does so as a different fighter.

Jumeau fractured his right hand in a unanimous decision win at UFC 221 in February last year, suffering a couple of setbacks in his recovery.

Being largely unable to strike while allowing the bone to heal, the 31-year-old welterweight was forced to work on the other elements of his game. Now, he's reaping the benefits.

"Any tape you watch on me from before isn't going to mean anything because I'm so, so different," Jumeau said.

"I'm hitting like a heavyweight again. The bone's feeling really strong. Surgeries are surgeries but my body has healed really well."

Jumeau (13-4) squares off against Brazilian Dhiego Lima (14-7) as part of the main card at UFC 243 at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium on Sunday in what promises to be an explosive encounter. Only eight of Lima's 21 career fights have gone the distance, while the judges' scorecards have been required in six of Jumeau's 17 bouts.

While he's been able to upskill in his time on the sidelines, Jumeau also comes into the bout with the benefit of working with a nutritionist for the first time in his career, having relied on "bro science" in order to make the 77.1kg weight limit in the past.

"One of the big things I'd do is under-eat in those last five or so days (before a fight), but then you lose muscle mass and you're losing stuff that you shouldn't.

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"With the nutritionist, they know the calories and what you need to eat so you're eating properly, you're not getting any muscle wastage and your performance isn't wasted.

"My energy levels and my performance are going to be boosted by it, and I'll be heavier too – probably heavier than I've been just having the science behind it, not just the old bro science."

With the bout against Lima being the last of Jumeau's initial contract with the UFC, an impressive performance on Sunday would put him in a good position when it came to negotiation a new contract.

However, the Hamilton fighter wasn't thinking about what would come after the fight, knowing it would all come down to his performance in the end.

"I don't want to put those things in my head before the performance. I just know what I've got to do. It's a performance based sport – I've just got to go in there, put him away and then we can talk."