“I don’t fight for the money. I fight for my legacy. I fight for history. I fight for my people.”

I don’t know about politics so much. I’m a professional athlete.

Next fight? If the UFC tell me, ‘What do you want?’ I’m going to say Tony Ferguson.

My best background is, like, smash opponents. I all the time go forward. I all the time try to take down somebody. Make him give up. This is my style, you know. This is what I do all my life.

When I fought with Michael Johnson, when I took his arm for the kimura, I can break it, but I go very slowly, be careful, because I don’t want to give him injury.

I never have a problem with the weight cut. My number one enemy is injuries because I train so hard.

I train, eat, sleep, and repeat.

My style is not like anyone’s. I’m not a typical wrestler.

They’re all fake belts. To be honest, I think real belt is Tony Ferguson’s.

I think about only me.

You have to punch hard for knockouts, and to beat me, you have to knock me out.

Of course I am tough, but I am smart, too. I’m more smart than tough. People watching my record and say that this guy is tough. This is not about tough; this is about mind. You think when you fight. This is about everything.

Where is Conor? He wanna fight with a bus. I want to fight with a real gangster. Iaquinta, thank you so much.

I never fight for the money, but every person is different.

I don’t think about, ‘Oh, I’m finally getting my respect,’ because I don’t care about this.

I care about my legacy.

I don’t think I’m a bad guy from Dagestan. I think I’m a good guy from Dagestan. But for my opponents, for sure, I’m a bad guy because when I go to the cage every time, I smash my opponents.

Lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for.

I’m looking forward to fighting Chisora, getting him out of the way, and then fighting Klitschko for all the belts, but I don’t think Wladimir is going to take the fight.

A fighter has to know fear.

I’ve been fighting my whole career to show a different side and prove naysayers – not prove them wrong, because I don’t think you should get your energy from negative people.

The religion is a personal thing in my life and fighting in the ring, it’s boxing. It’s my profession. God always gives me strength.

I already know what boxers do; I’ve been in it all my life. I know what they do, and I know how they prepare.

I want to convey to women across the globe that they aren’t weak. They can fight for themselves and get justice.

I’ve not been paid millions of pounds for any fights. I’ve not made any money out of boxing.