“I wanted to start in boxing, but you have to train a little harder to be a boxer. A lot of those guys can take punches. MMA, you only have to hit someone so hard to knock them out.”

If I was really trying to be the best fighter in the world, I would be in the best shape and taking it more serious but I’m not.

I’ll fight anyone.

All of my fights, especially all of my UFC fights my whole career, I’ve never been in there without any kind of impingement and pain wrong with my back.

I’ve been in that situation many times before – where I’m losing and I have to knock a guy out.

I know I only need one punch to knock any guy out.

I don’t know how to do takedowns.

I don’t care if I ever fight for the belt or get the belt.

I don’t care what people think.

I know I’m the least technical guy in the sport. Most of the champions or guys at the top are real martial artists.

That’s what really gets me going, thinking about my past. I think about all the tough times and bad times I’ve had in my life and I bring all that into the Octagon. That’s only because it’s hard going in there trying to fight someone who didn’t do anything to you.

I grew up watching my mom and my stepdad fight.

I set some goals for myself. I really want to run through this whole heavyweight division.

I really don’t punch with my left hand anyways.

The only reason I want to climb up the rankings – beating the champion and beating guys in the top five – those are the guys that get the endorsements and get the most money and get paid the most. That’s the only reason why.

I’m serious, I don’t stay in the gym each day like my opponents.

You’ve really got to stay ready 24/7. You really can’t get ready because there’s no telling. They’ll call you short notice to fight anyone so you really have to stay ready.

Boxing’s a sport that gives you licence to act like an idiot, I think.

There’s ups and downs with boxing, layoffs are part of the sport and they can either help or hurt a guy.

Boxing is a contest of character and ingenuity. The boxer with more will, determination, desire, and intelligence is always the one who comes out the victor.

Boxing is not for killing each other.

There’s more to boxing than hitting. There’s not getting hit, for instance.

When I was a boxer, I wanted to be champion of the world, not the richest man in the world.

I don’t play boxing.

Boxing is the sport to which all other sports aspire.