I am an athlete in every sense of the word. Athlete, martial artist.

It's not my business what other people think of me.

I will get out there and train harder than anyone, five times a day sometimes. You have to be a special person to do that - like, special forces, military maybe.

I'll see trash talk and people telling me why they're favorite fighter is going to beat me. It motivates me for sure.

For a long time, I consciously tried to be a good person for others. Not anymore. Caring about other people keeps me in line, but I've decided to just be myself.

I just would hate to have to fight my own teammate. I would never want to.

The moment I let fear slip in is the moment that the fights are gonna start getting closer and closer.

I'll fight anywhere, man.

I grew up originally in Rochester. It was where I was born and a very tough neighbourhood with a lot of violence. I consider myself lucky. When I was aged 11, in 1998, Dad moved us to a suburban area from what was a ghetto area. It gave me a chance of survival.

When it comes to fighting and other fighters, I try to be respectful.

I absolutely hate when people mention Rashad Evans.

Fitness really changed my life.

I think once you start to think that you're the man, and you know it all, and your style is unbeatable and stuff like that, that's when you get caught and clipped and get humbled really fast.

Being labeled as someone who would cheat hurts more than anything else I've ever been through in my career.

In a fight, you got to know that there's a strong chance you're going to get hurt. But at the same time, you know, most of the injuries you sustain in fighting are not career-ending injuries.

One day when I was bored, I just went down to a powerlifting gym, Via Strength Systems in Albuquerque. I knew I needed to expend my energy somehow. I started working out with them four days a week. I became obsessed with lifting and being fit.

Daniel Cormier has been a model champion. He will be a champion for the rest of his life.

Even though I have bad qualities in my personal life, as an athlete, I can turn it on.

Having that Christian base keeps me focused on what I have to do. It keeps me out of the clubs and in the gym.

I was never popular. I always kind of wanted to be accepted with the rich kids, with the cool kids, and I never had that.

I wouldn't argue that Anderson Silva is the best pound-for-pound fighter in MMA.

You've got to give your past attention, but you've got to forgive yourself, acknowledge what you did wrong, and be a man, taking responsibility. You can't not fly anymore because of the things you've been through. You've got to believe in a brighter future, that better version of yourself.

I want to take this time to thank Daniel Cormier for being my biggest rival and motivator. He has absolutely no reason to hang his head. He has been a model champion, a model husband, a model father, a teammate, a leader, and I aspire to be a lot more like that man, because he's an amazing human being.

Conor McGregor has been a tremendous inspiration to me.