Inside Dave Bautista's Weight Loss Journey: All About the Actor's Transformation After Losing 75 Lbs. Staff Author, Aya AlHakimJanuary 28, 2026 at 8:36 AM 0 Dave Bautista on January 30, 2023 in New York City ; Dave Bautista on September 6, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty; Kayla Oaddams/Getty Dave Bautista gained weight for his role in the 2023 horror movie Knock at the Cabin The actor began doing jiujitsu and eating a balanced diet to shed 75 lbs. by late 2024 Bautista feels more like himself, weighing 240 lbs.
- - Inside Dave Bautista's Weight Loss Journey: All About the Actor's Transformation After Losing 75 Lbs.
Staff Author, Aya Al-HakimJanuary 28, 2026 at 8:36 AM
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Dave Bautista on January 30, 2023 in New York City ; Dave Bautista on September 6, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty; Kayla Oaddams/Getty
Dave Bautista gained weight for his role in the 2023 horror movie Knock at the Cabin
The actor began doing jiu-jitsu and eating a balanced diet to shed 75 lbs. by late 2024
Bautista feels more like himself, weighing 240 lbs. at 6'4"
Dave Bautista has long been known for his imposing frame — first as a powerhouse in WWE, then as the musclebound Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy.
As his career has grown in Hollywood, Bautista has embodied his characters through his appearance, which has meant putting on weight. After bulking up for the movie Knock at the Cabin in February 2023, Bautista decided to focus on his diet and exercise to help him feel like himself again.
"I started slimming down because I ... was uncomfortably big. Now looking back at it, I probably overdid it," he said on the Insight with Chris Van Vliet podcast in September 2024, adding that he put on extra pounds by eating pancakes and French Fries. "At the time, I was just thinking, 'I gotta get big, I gotta get big.' "
While speaking on the audio show, Bautista revealed that he had lost 75 lbs. through a balanced diet and jiu-jitsu training. "I've sacrificed a lot of muscle. But I'm okay with it, because I just feel more comfortable," he elaborated on Live with Kelly and Mark in July 2024.
Here's everything to know about Dave Bautista's weight loss journey.
Bautista took up jiu-jitsu to trim down
Dave Bautista on July 21, 2025 in Los Angeles, California
Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty
During a July 2024 appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark, Bautista revealed that he gained "over 300 lbs." for the horror film Knock on the Cabin, and he dedicated himself to jiu-jitsu as a way to get back into shape.
"I was struggling to lose the weight, so I brought a trainer — my buddy Jason Manly — over to Budapest with me while I was filming Dune," he told co-hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos. "We did nothing but grapple for hours, and I started shedding the weight. I figured I'd stick with it and get my brown belt."
Still, Bautista admitted some areas were stubborn. "There were just certain spots that no matter how much weight I lost, I couldn't get rid of it," he said, mentioning his stomach, chest and face.
He embraces cardio workouts
Despite his reputation as a hulking WWE star and Marvel superhero, Bautista has said that he doesn't prioritize looking a certain way.
"I think a lot of people think I'm just a meathead and that I live my life lifting weights. And I actually don't," he told Men's Health U.K. in June 2025. "I do live my life training, but I think people think that I train because I want to look like a bodybuilder or a big muscle head. And it's not at all the case."
More recently, Bautista has embraced cardio workouts like cycling and boxing, which keep him energized and motivated.
"Me looking the way I do is really just kind of a by‑product of that," he said, adding that he'd rather watch someone else deadlift than chase max lifts himself.
Instead, Bautista prefers working with trainers, mixing things up and keeping his routine fresh.
Bautista follows a balanced diet of protein, carbs and veggies
Speaking to the Today show in September 2024, Bautista estimated that he consumed 2,500 calories per day through intermittent fasting, which involves cycling between eating and fasting windows.
After following this routine for a while, it became second nature to him.
"For me, it's like nothing," Bautista said. "I'm just not eating much. And I'm not starving or anything."
Three years prior, in October 2021, he gave Men's Health a fridge tour that featured elements of a nutrient-rich, plant-forward diet.
Bautista told Today that he typically eats eggs in the morning, adds a couple of fish meals and relies on staples like rice and beans — with the hope of eventually going vegan.
He says like he's at a healthy weight for a 6'4" person
Dave Bautista on February 25, 2024 in New York City
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
The former WWE wrestler told TikTok personality Chris Van Vliet that he had heard comments about his size, but confirmed that he's still at a healthy weight.
"People say, 'God, you're skinny,' " Bautista said on the Insight with Chris Van Vliet podcast in September 2024. "I've even seen online some people worried about my health."
He continued, "[But] I say it out loud to people, 'I'm 6'4,″ 240 pounds' ... I'm still just a large human being."
on People
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: January 28, 2026 at 04:45PM on Source: RED MAG
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