The still-undefeated Timothy Bradley, who brought down Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao like a blue ghost on Saturday, might have had an unfair advantage: He follows a vegan training regimen. The welterweight is famously hard on left-handers, but he's easy on animals.

In this clip, in which he talks about why he loves eating vegan meals, Bradley explains, "I just feel completely different. I feel superior over any athlete I get in the ring with. You know, energy is there."

PETA's love is there for Bradley and his cruelty-free training sessions, so we're sending him some congratulatory flowers to thank him for joining athletes such as Lance Armstrong, Rich Roll, Jake Shields, Mac Danzig, Daniel Bryan, and many more in proving the power of plants!

Here's the situation: Abercrombie & Fitch has offered to pay Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino and other Jersey Shore cast members not to wear the brand, saying that seeing the Sitch in Fitch is damaging the company's image. Well, Mike can't run around shirtless—at least not all the time―so PETA is sending him replacement clothing that's worthy of T-shirt time. Here's our mocked-up, fingers-crossed vision of what Mike would look like rocking a PETA tee:

Unlike A&F, PETA would be honored if The Situation were to wear our 
T-shirt and show his fans that real tough guys are kind to animals. By sticking up for animals, The Sitch would join other macho men with hearts of gold like Dennis Rodman, Amar’e Stoudemire, Waka Flocka Flame, Mac Danzig, Chad Ochocinco, Carey Hart, and Ron Artest.

We hope to see Mike fist-pumping in our T-shirt soon. In the meantime, you can pick up one of our "too sexy" tees for yourself at the PETA store at CafePress.com. As Pauly D would say, "Yeeeeeeeah, buddy!"
 

Written by Michelle Sherrow

The Daily Meal recently compiled a list of top vegetarian athletes, including Mike Tyson, Billie Jean King, and Joe Namath. We were inspired to compile our own list of 10 animal-friendly top talents who have gotten brawn from broccoli and endurance from eggplant:
 

 
 

1. Ricky Williams, who fills out a PETA T-shirt as nicely as he does a Miami Dolphins jersey, had a ball hosting PETA's vegetarian chicken-wing taste test.
2. Robert Parish is one of the "50 Greatest Players in NBA History," partly because he made history of wimpy meat-eaters who got in his way.
3. "Olympian of the Century" Carl Lewis is a gold-medal winner with a heart to match.
4. Ultimate Fighter winner and King of the Cage world champion Mac Danzig eats his opponents for breakfast, but what he won't eat is animals.
5. Maybe Home Run Derby winner Prince Fielder inspired the Milwaukee Brewers' Miller Park to add veggie dogs and vegetable wraps to its menu?
6. Four-time Mr. Universe Bill Pearl is a gem for animals, with his healthy vegetarian diet.
7. If there is one thing Olympic gold medalist Hannah Teeter is as passionate about as she is about snowboarding, it's compassion for animals.
8. Ironman triathlete Brendan Brazier credits his vegan diet with helping him recover after he was hit by a car while cycling, and he came back to win an Ultra Marathon Championship.
9. How do you get to be named by Men's Fitness as one of the "25 Fittest Guys in the World"? Ask Rich Roll, and be ready for him to tell you, "Go vegan."
10.  MMA Strikeforce Champion Jake Shields is a force to be reckoned with in the ring, but never in his life has he forced animals to die for his diet.
     

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Meat-munchers have nothing on lean, green vegetarian machines. As the front page of the UFC's website shows, the competition is getting fiercer as more fighters follow in the footsteps of Jake Shields and Mac Danzig and get in prime shape with vegetarian and vegan diets. 
 

Mac Danzig went vegetarian after seeing pigs being sent to slaughter and is now a vegan powerhouse in the ring.

 
Want to get into fighting shape? Order your own tough guy (or girl) kit free from PETA.
 

Written by Michelle Sherrow

When you see muscular men duking it out in the ring, does it make you think of spinach? It should. It turns out Popeye was right all along. Yahoo! Sports is reporting on the growing trend of vegetarian diets among mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters.

Strikeforce MMA champion and our Most Animal-Friendly Athlete winner Jake Shields is always ready to talk to other fighters about his life-long vegetarian diet. And they're listening. (I would, too—geez, look at him.)

Jake's training partner, Strikeforce champ Nick Diaz, and Nick's brother Nate Diaz, an Ultimate Fighter winner, both adopted vegetarian diets after watching Jake work his magic in the ring. UFC fighter Jon Fitch has also almost entirely ditched his meat-and-potatoes habit and is considered to be one of the top three welterweights in the world.

And who could forget studly Mac Danzig? We would totally not pick a fight with him (thank goodness he's our friend), but this tough guy has a soft spot for animals and went vegetarian after seeing a truckload of pigs being sent to slaughter. He's now vegan and continues to wipe up the floor with meat-eaters all over the world.

Wonder if we could get them to do an Ultimate Vegan Fighting Championship? That would be enough to make a good vegan girl go bad.

Written by Michelle Sherrow  

What do you do when a U.K. survey reveals that some lasses are suffering under the misapprehension that eating meat is "manly"? You show off a slew of veggie-powered super-studs and let the ladies decide for themselves. Here ya go, and you're welcome.

Now that you've feasted your eyes on these hunks of beef-, er, tofu-cake, vote for the one with whom you'd be least likely to pick a fight over the last vegan buffalo wing. Guys, if you're still eating meat, perhaps this is the inspiration you need to order a free copy of PETA's vegetarian/vegan starter kit and begin eating your way to machismo.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Recently, Seattle-based ultramarathoner Scott Jurek told the New York Times that he intended to set a new American record at the 24-Hour Run world championship in Brive, France. And Scott did just that: He ran—get this—more than 165.7 miles in 24 hours.

 

 

For this tremendous feat, he set his record, won the silver medal, and was crowned USA Today's Athlete of the Week. And he did it all on vegan fuel, as he has in all the ultramarathons he's run since 1999 (he averages eight to 10 ultramarathons a year).

This longtime vegan is in good company: Sports scientists know that athletes can thrive on an animal-free diet, and so does Ultraman Rich Roll, Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis, and even Ultimate Fighting champion Mac Danzig.

From one vegan extreme marathoner* to another, I'd like to personally congratulate Scott on his accomplishment and thank him for caring about animals and the environment. And with Scott on Twitter, it was so easy to show him some love.

Written by Karin Bennett

*So maybe my Real Housewives of New York City marathon wasn't in the same league as Scott's ultramarathon, but my concerns about factory farming and climate change are. Are yours?

It's a hazy day here on the Right Coast. As I watch leaves fall and steam rise from my soy mocha, the mood is set for a lazy (yet highly skilled) meander through gossip rags for fun stuff. Here are my faves:

• Warning! Seals can literally cute you to death.
• Kiddies catch E. coli from petting zoo. Animals unnaturally held captive. Why is this still appealing?
• "Clucking" mad at KFC? I bet that's why this chicken wanders through its drive-through.
• The real Scorpion King creatively atones for his sins. Love this!
• Sesame Street reps tofu! The revolution is here!
• Lacking imagination and compassion, yet another "Elmer Fudd" accidentally shoots himself.
• Hug a Vegetarian Day is right around the corner. Show some love, y'all!
• This is both creepy and thought-provoking.

Thanks for stopping by! Catch you next time, and don't forget to hug all your vegetarian friends.

Written by Missy Lane

 

sportsillustrated.cnn / CC

As a lifelong vegetarian, Jake Shields is no stranger to sticking up for the little guys. Maybe that's why the XC welterweight champion agreed to appear in a recent episode of MTV's Bully Beatdown, a show that puts teenage bullies in the ring with professional fighters to give them a taste of how miserable it feels to be the underdog.

In an interview with our friends at The Discerning Brute, Jake said, "Well I'm a life-long vegetarian and the diet obviously works. I also have two brothers that are strong and healthy. But you do have to have a good balanced diet and eat healthy foods. There's plenty of ways to get protein other than eating meat."

Awesome athletes like Jake and his fellow fighter Mac Danzig are evidence that not only is a vegetarian diet a possible diet for athletes, it might even be the best diet.

Written by Amanda Schinke

Thanks for all of your wonderful comments on this Win It Wednesday. The winners of the PETA Grocery Tote are Mariah Lacey, Joel A., and Alyson Paige Warren. Congratulations!

"Win It" Wednesday is coming a day early this week!

One of my favorite things about spring is getting to walk around outside without a jacket. The sun is out, there's a gentle breeze, and the birds are chirping their hearts out. What better time to leave the car at home and stroll to the grocery store? You can save money on gas, conserve our limited resources, and enjoy the weather while getting a little exercise.

As long as we're talking groceries, did you know that the easiest and most effective thing you can do to help save the world is to go vegetarian? What's the second easiest thing? Stuffing all your yummy fruits and veggies into PETA's canvas grocery tote, of course! So, in honor of "Meat's Not Green" Week, we're giving you the chance to win one free!

 

 

How do you win? Just tell us what steps you're taking to show the world that meat's not green! Whether it's passing out leaflets, talking to friends, or petitioning your school for vegetarian options, every bit helps. The three most creative comments will win our stylish and eco-friendly PETA grocery tote.

The contest ends on May 6, 2009, and we'll choose three winners on May 8, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Check back every Wednesday for new prizes. Good luck!

Written by Lianne Turner