Soccer players are constantly making maximum-effort sprints with very limited recovery, and they have to contort themselves into weird positions to weave around their opponents and get or keep the ball. They need leanness and power for pure acceleration, but they also need balanced muscularity to protect them against injury. They're part sprinter, part distance runner and part gymnast.
An other component is that natural talent and skill can compensate for a lot of hard work. Not all, but a lot.
The same also seems true in football/soccer for
reasons that I don't quite understand. It wasn't
ever really my sport, and I don't get why those guys
are so shredded everywhere.
In more physical leagues like the EPL having some mass is also beneficial (unless you are Messi)
Visit Lumpinee sometime ;).
You'll be very surprised by the body types of winning fighters. Most of the Thai fighters have a runner bod, because of early childhood nutrition issues (most fighters come from Isaan, the poorest region of TH and started fighting as a way to make money in the very large illicit gambling scene)
And the best fighters I've trained with are all avid runners. At Woodenman, the fight team would always run 6-7 miles every morning before multiple training sessions.
Nong O told a friend he was frustrated that he only got access to modern training habits and nutrition so late into his career - he spent most his training just doing press ups for S&C
Compare that with fighters like Superbon who now do all kinds of explosive training.
The Saenchai kick off with Wonderboy was interesting - Saenchai's kick was beautiful there was almost no telegraph and it didn't look like he gave it his all but he was "only" kicking at about 47k whereas Wonderboy was maxed around 93k and Sensei Seth hit over 100k.
And that belies the physics of power - that its both technique and mass. I doubt Wonderboy or Seth's technique can hold a candle to Saenchai's.
Put it this way - would you rather eat a leg kick from Saenchai or Rico Verhoeven? Would you rather get punched by Naoya Inoue or Anthony Joshua?
Anyway comparing physiques - look at 100m sprinters vs 10k sprinters.
Justin Gatlin and Usain Bolt vs Mo Farah. That fast twitch explosive muscle tends to be bulkier... And footballers def run more like a sprinter than a long distance runner
In my experience training in BJJ, Muay Thai, and Judo, the ones at the tippy top look very fit and healthy, but aren't packed muscles of Adonis or washboard abs.
And these are people who have significant win records at Lumpinee, IBJJF, Olympics, etc. Even the fighters at the qualifier UFCs matches (the ones that start 5-6 hours before the main fight) tend to look more "normal".
Though, then again, I guess it depends what your definition of "fitness influencer aesthetic" is - is it someone who concentrates on washboard abs and aesthetics or someone who's conventionally attractive but also competitive in some sport.
That said, towards the very top of the UFC and OneFC pole, some amount of aesthetic training is included due to the whole marketing "schtick".
Also, according to some of my friends and trainers who have competed in UFC, OneFC, etc - there is a bit of an issue around PEDs towards the higher end of the spectrum that has a become a bit of a problem. The USADA and the UFC's new doping agency has become very lax on testing the past few years. McGregor wasn't the only fighter who has had issues surrounding doping - he's just more prominent and inculcating a "bad boy" image.
https://www.reddit.com/r/coys/comments/9orbvv/kanes_dad_bod_...
The same also seems true in football/soccer for reasons that I don't quite understand. It wasn't ever really my sport, and I don't get why those guys are so shredded everywhere. I'd expect to see more 'runner builds' than there seem to be. I guess the necessity for short bursts of intense strength/speed, and rolling 40 feet on the ground after somebody grazes you, changes the optimal body comp.