Wrestling definitely shaped the direction of my life because, before that, I wanted to fit in so much. I wanted to be one of the cool cats. I was friends with the captain of the football team because he had all the chicks. I wanted to be that guy.

One of the hardest parts of this game, and what I don't think people understand, is the mental side of it. They think, 'Oh, he's a big, stronger guy.' But let me tell you, and I believe this without question: It's not always the biggest, strongest, meanest, toughest-looking who gets the job done.

You can't say I don't have the confidence, because I have that.

Crazy things happen in this sport, and you have to be ready. And for me, luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

Nothing but respect for Demian Maia.

There was a time when guys just had a specialty, like boxer or wrestler or jiujitsu guy. Then came guys who could blend taking you down with also being able to kick your head off.

Once Africans realise we can just fight and get paid for it, we can do that and still provide for ourselves and our families and countries? We're going to flood the market.

I believe in fate.

It's my job to show up, make weight, and prepare to be a world champion if that opportunity presents itself.

We didn't have running water. We had to get water from wells, and there was a stint where I lived with my grandma where we had to get water, bring it over to the house. You had to boil the water because you never knew what parasites were in the water.

I recall the hard work that my family went through just to continue to live the lifestyle that we were living, which wasn't by any means a great lifestyle.

That's why I think that I have a big advantage, because I work on my striking a ton, but I don't forget about my wrestling, what brought me to the dance.

I believe the UFC was sold based on their performance and the services they've provided, so if a company comes in and buys it, they just bought the blueprints of their success. I believe that WME-IMG bought the UFC because of its structure and success.

I always envisioned hearing them say, 'and new,' and wrapping that belt around me and thinking of all the things I was fighting for.

I want Dong Hyun Kim. He's a grappler, he's a strong stand-up fighter, and I think that would be a great fight. I think I beat him every and anywhere.

I'm not the ugliest guy in the world.

I believe that, just naturally, I'm a very soft-spoken person. Everyone tells me that on a daily basis - 'Speak up, we can't hear you,' or 'Elaborate on this.' But that's just how I am.

I can't fight forever. Commentating is one of those major things that I definitely feel I want to do and can do.

The fight game has changed to where it's no longer the toughest is fighting the toughest to be the best on the planet.

Fighters no longer manage themselves: they have a whole team behind them. A fighter has a manager, an agent, a Hollywood agent - they got this and that. And on top of that, they've got their whole team of coaches.

I'm a people watcher, and I love to listen.

I would love to fight a lot more often, but of course it's the UFC, and whenever they feel that they have an opening, then they can put us in there because there's so many fighters.

When you're doing something like wrestling - wrestling is one of the toughest and hardest martial arts to learn - but it's still a form of martial arts. It's still controlled.

USADA is wonderful, I think they're doing a remarkable job, and they do a remarkable job all around the world.

At the end of the day, I'm a professional.

One thing about me is that my parents didn't force me to be an athlete.

My parents didn't want me to do this. My dad, when I told him I wanted to wrestle, he told me no, if you're going to play any sports, play baseball.

I'm a realist.

I'm the type of person who's never said never.

I've already proved I have what it takes to be the champion. I'm right there.

A lot of people forget that Americans are immigrants. People are forgetting that, to where people have this attitude, 'We're Americans, go back to your country. Go back. This is a free country.' I always heard that growing up. I always heard that.

When you go to hotels, who are the maids who work at most of those hotels? A lot of them are immigrants. We take pride in that because we're in a better place and want to provide for our families.

My mind is strong.

Once I go into these fights, and we have to go through the ringer to prepare for them, and we know I'm not 100 percent going in, winning is the most important thing, and dominating is the most important thing, and that's what we've been doing.

It's one thing to get somebody down on the ground, but it's another thing to finish him there.

Listen, anybody can put their head down and throw a haymaker and pray and hope it lands.

When I eventually get my hands on Covington, its more than just a fight: it symbolizes so many other things. It symbolizes the attitude toward immigrants in this country and around the world.

I will be unhappy if RDA ducks me. I will be very unhappy.

I think Mike Perry is a guy the fans actually care about.

I study this sport.

Not everybody out here trains with me; not everybody knows what I'm capable of. My coaches know what I'm capable of, my training partners know what I'm capable of, and I know what I'm capable of.

Once you have an opponent in your mind that you're preparing for, you're working on specifics, and you get guys in to mimic what they do.

Nobody - nobody - in my division wants to fight me, because I am the hardest fight for anybody.

I'm good everywhere. I can defend the takedowns. I can get a guy down if I want them. I can keep it standing and strike. I can do it all.

Demian Maia, he's a legend. He's a veteran in the game. He knows how to fight. He's been through so many five-round fights. He's headlined a lot of cards, fought Anderson Silva for the title, fought Tyron Woodley for the title. He's a veteran, he knows how to fight, and he's always training. He's a jiu-jitsu wizard.

You never say never. That's one of the lessons I've learned.

I'm not the guy to call the cops.

I work with one of the best striking coaches in the world, Henri Hooft.

Being able to open up and use my kick would make me so much more dangerous. It wouldn't even be fair to use some of the weapons that we work on.

I believe in karma.