I just believe that my heart is the best in the sport. And I believe that's what carried me through my whole career. Not my talent or my power or anything like that. I just believe my heart.
I don't fight just because I love it just that much. I'm fighting because it's a job for me.
I'm fighting just so I can take care of my family.
I'm serious, I don't stay in the gym each day like my opponents.
I go into every fight with a bad back and overweight and a damn-near diabetic.
You eat salad and you're hungry the next 30 minutes and you're hungrier from when you ate the damn salad.
I'm not scared to fight anyone, I'll call anyone out.
At first, whenever I first got into the UFC, I was like, 'oh my God, I'm in the UFC.' When you come from where I came from, being in the UFC basically meant I was on top of the world.
A lot of people said I would never make it, and this and that, I'd never be a top 10 fighter, that I'd never fight for a title. Just stuff like that. Achieving all those goals and being the person that I am, this is going against everything everyone said I couldn't do.
Bowing and showing respect - I don't give nothing about none of that. I'm just coming in and fighting.
I go in to fight just to fight. I don't care about submissions, the technique and all of that.
I tell people all the time that it would be good if they forget about me next week, that they don't even mention my name anymore.
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.
For sure, I would love to fight in Houston.
I just like being in fun fights.
I hate being in boring fights. It frustrates me.
You have 20 fights, you should know what it takes to get yourself ready. If you don't feel like you're ready, you let your coach know 'hey we need to work on a little bit more of this.'
I just feel that all the top fighters in the world are making all the money.
I believe I get the belt then I'll get the money. I'm not trying to be the best fighter in the world. It's all about the cheddar.
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.
My heart outweighs all the talent. If they've got more talent, I believe that my heart will still overcome that. You've got to have heart to step inside the octagon anyway.
I have a couple of properties. Bought some houses and just rent them out.
I've been in that situation many times before - where I'm losing and I have to knock a guy out.
It's all the stuff I've been through in my life. From family struggles, people doubting me, things I went through as a child and going to prison, they all played a factor in who I am today. It really made me a better person. Going through those situations can make or break you as a human being.
I know I only need one punch to knock any guy out.
I've been in that situation three or four times before where I'm losing the fight - the fight seems almost over with - and I knew I had to finish him and stop playing possum as much.
I know I'm the least technical guy in the sport. Most of the champions or guys at the top are real martial artists.
I really don't like watching women fights.
Whatever the UFC wants to pay me for, that's fine.
I really don't punch with my left hand anyways.
I just really want to put the past behind me, because it makes me angry thinking about it. But it's also the reason I've made it this far in my career. It's like, built up in me. It's what I think about when I fight. My childhood.
I look at all my opponents, and they could be something else. They could go out and get a normal, regular job. I look at myself and I can't do that. I have a strike on my back. I can't have a normal job. So, I've got to fight for everything I've got.
I just have a crazy sense of humor.
My goal is just to make as much money as I can in the sport, and that's it.
I don't care where I'm at in the heavyweight division. As long as I win enough, so they keep me. That's about it.
That's usually the way I am - I don't care what my opponent can do. I just focus on myself.
I don't even train for these fights. I'm not mad when people say that because it's true.
The one thing about me, if it is a 15-minute fight, I'm fighting every one of them 15 minutes. And if it's a 25-minute fight, I'll be fighting all 25 until the bell rings.