Lawrence Okolie, the former cruiserweight world champion, has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past 18 months. His journey from facing defeat and dealing with criticism to now making his heavyweight debut showcases his resilience and determination.

Witness the Rebirth of a Boxing Champion

The 'Skinny and Drawn' Cruiserweight

Lawrence Okolie, hailing from Hackney but now based in Bahrain, trained at Manchester's Moss Side boxing gym during a short visit. Under the guidance of coach Joe Gallagher, he towered over stablemate Natasha Jonas. Standing at 6ft 5in, he often had a height and reach advantage at cruiserweight. However, weight became a significant issue. Outside of training camp, his scales would peak at 17st, far above the 14st 4lb cruiserweight limit. He recalls, "For weeks before I wasn't thinking about the fight but the weigh-in. I was having to do long runs, skips, whatever it took to drop the last bit of water weight. I looked skinny and drawn, even though at the time I thought I looked great."

During this time, his focus was on making the weight and getting into fighting shape. It was a challenging period that tested his mental and physical endurance.

But now, he is ready to take on a new challenge in the heavyweight division.

Mixed Grills & Personal Bests

Okolie has started piling on the pounds and is now enjoying the "luxury" of being able to eat three solid meals. With noticeably bigger biceps and wider shoulders, he smiles as he talks about the change. "At cruiserweight, I was having just two meals and intermittent fasting. It was all down to the grams, meal preps, everything had to be done to a T. I had to know the answer. Now I can be a bit more like 'whatever'. I can have oats in the morning, pasta at lunch, a mixed grill for dinner. I can get hungry in the night time and allow myself a snack."

He also smirks as he discusses hitting personal bests in weight training, though he refuses to give specifics, stating, "Other heavyweights can probably lift heavier." This newfound strength has resulted in extra power, which he can feel in the way the bag reacts and the sound of the pads during training.

'No Point Putting on Extra Stones'

Okolie is aware that he doesn't need to make weight in the heavyweight division but understands the importance of not getting carried away with his newfound freedom. He recalls his childhood when at 14, he would eat chicken and chips every day after school and was described as clinically obese. Boxing training introduced him to the importance of nutrition.

A few weeks before his heavyweight debut, he tipped the scales at 18st 6lb, but he plans to drop at least another stone before fight night. Anthony Joshua weighed 18st for his loss to Daniel Dubois, and Dubois was a career-heavy 17st 10lb. Tyson Fury was 18st 7lb when he faced Oleksandr Usyk.

"As a cruiserweight, I sparred a lot of heavyweights and I can take a lot of confidence about how those spars went, so there's no point putting on extra stones and losing speed and sharpness," he said. This shows his wisdom and understanding of the sport as he prepares for his upcoming fight.