Why did Canelo Alvarez turn vegan? Exploring the most impactful events which triggered a dietary overhaul in the life of Mexico's champion pugilist

Canelo Alvarez is widely considered to be one of the greatest boxers of the modern generation. The four-division champion made his professional debut at the age of 15 years old and has built an impressive 60-2-2 record. He is currently the undisputed super middleweight champion, holding all the belts in the 168-pound division.

Alvarez, who is set to defend his titles on May 4th when he faces Jaime Munguia in Las Vegas, Nevada, switched to a mostly vegan diet while in training camp several years ago. Take a look at why the star boxer made the change below.

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Why did Canelo Alvarez turn vegan?

Canelo Alvarez initially made the decision to stop eating red meat in 2018 after he tested positive for clenbuterol, which led to a six-month suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission. The banned substance is sometimes illegally fed to cows in Mexico.

Alvarez attributed his positive drug test and suspension to tainted cow meat and decided to give up red meat. Four years later, he decided to switch to a mostly vegan diet after watching 'The Game Changers', which is described as 'a revolutionary new film about meat, protein and strength' on its official website.

The undisputed super middleweight champion stuck to vegan protein five days a week while eating fish and chicken on the weekends. Speaking to ESPN about the change, he stated:

"I'm not complicated when it comes to food. I adapt quickly. I eat [a vegan diet] all week now and if one day the opportunity presents to eat red meat, chicken or whatever, I'll have no problem with that. But I do try to keep vegan [right now]."

After losing to Dmitry Bivol, which was just the second of his legendary career, Alvarez stopped implementing a plant-based diet during his training camps. He told the Associated Press:

"I tried to do it for some weeks and it's very complicated to change everything all of a sudden. So now, like I have all my life, I'm eating what I did before." [h/t ESPN]

Canelo Alvarez has recovered from the second blemish on his record with three consecutive defenses of his undisputed super middleweight title. He will look to defend the belts once again when he faces Jaime Munguia on May 4th. It will mark his first bout against a Mexican opponent since defeating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. via unanimous decision seven years ago. It is just his fourth fight against a Mexican opponent in the past 15 years.