“I definitely got into a lot of fights when I was a kid. I never understood it. I was one of those quiet kids. I never picked with no one.”

I’ve been talking about unifying the division for a long time.

There comes a time when you have to put forth the action and actually see whether you’re really just talking to promote yourself, just to sell yourself, or to build your confidence or build confidence around you… or are you the real deal?

Against Bermane Stiverne, they said he was going to be the toughest test, but I passed that with flying colours.

Some guys like to fight on even playing grounds, and some guys like to cheat.

It’s contagious to do great. But once that one bad apple falls, everybody else will fall, and that’s how it is.

When they throw punches, the breathing, the sparring. The heavy bags being hit. All of that – it was a heavenly sound to me.

My dream was to play for Alabama – football, basketball.

This is no game. You get up in there, and you take some punches. You risk your life, and then let me see you talk then. That’s why I don’t respect people who criticize fighters.

I am going to get world-wide recognition from whoever wants it, and whoever wants to challenge me.

When I am in the ring, all I think about is knocking my opponent’s head off, getting him out of there. Hurting him. Putting pain to him. I will have no mercy. I will have no pity.

You have to, as an individual, know how to tune that stage of your life that’s in the past out.

When one guy is doing good, it makes all the others want to achieve greatness.

I’m ready for Joseph Parker. The question is, is he ready for me?

My goal is to unify the division. Whoever’s got those belts, that’s who I want.

Every guy I touch, it’s the same result. When I land, it’s like seeing one of those preachers on TV. When I touch them, they fall out.

When you have a fighter willing to do that, when he is seriously hurt and in pain but still fights, you’ve got a dangerous man on your hands.

The greatest violence is seeing a child go to bed hungry.

Spring appears and we are once more children.

Arts can save children, no matter what’s going on in their homes.

I learned that I can’t save the world, but I can help a child at a time.

My little siblings keep me grounded. I’m a kid at heart.

I’m just a shy and retreating kind of person. Sometimes I get in a real talkative mood – but not very often.

Sometimes when I visit my sister and her two children, I wonder if she missed a lot by getting married. Right now, nothing could be further from my mind than getting married.

My mom loves saris, and when I was a child, she told me ‘a girl looks good in an Indian traditional outfit.’ So, somehow it stayed in my head, and I really enjoy Indian wear.