Tyron Woodley
I remember recording over my mom's cassettes and putting on 'Thuggish Ruggish Bone,' and my mom be like, 'What the hell?' Being that I was born in '82, I've been listening to all of the classics throughout my years.
When you fighting in New York, I feel like it would be disrespectful if I didn't walk out with some legendary East Coast hip-hop.
You look at the top five right now and see guys like Kelvin Gastelum, who I've beaten, Carlos Condit, who I've beaten, Robbie Lawler, who I've beaten. How are those guys more notable than I am, and I'm the champion of the world?
I'm a huge fan of the Diaz boys. I'm a huge fan of what they've done for our sport. I feel like it's not about the rankings anymore. Sometimes the rankings are a little shaky.
I want to be compensated. If I'm working at the post office, and I'm sorting the same mail as the person to the right, and they're making $25 an hour and I'm making $21, I need to know what is this person doing so much better that he's getting $4 more than me. That's just knowing the market and being a smart businessman.
My end goal is not to break the record for cashing in the most. I want to be treated fair and what I feel is fair, but that's not my sole purpose; that's not my purpose.
I didn't really get into the sport for fame. I didn't get into it to be this infamous guy that everybody worships. I got into this sport to make a difference.
I don't fight safe; I fight smart.
I fight with a game plan, but sometimes you have an audible.
For me, it's about the legacy, being the best fighter and a champion who takes all comers. I'm going to make more money outside the Octagon, after my career, than I make in it. But it's making it difficult for me to achieve my goals when I have unnecessary stumbling blocks like my promoter saying damaging comments about me.
Wrestling is second nature: I've been doing it for so long, so if it looks like someone's leg is available, it made sense for my first three fights that I would shoot for legs.
Johnny Hendricks has better credentials, but in MMA, I might be the best wrestler for the style.
Obviously, Robbie Lawler isn't called ruthless for nothing; he's really earned his keep and has a crazy comeback story, probably the best comeback story we've seen in our sport.
It's a sport about risk and reward. It's a sport about becoming a legend. You look at guys that have stepped up on last minute, and it changed their lives. I don't think that I should be any different.
There's a lot of guys in my weight class that are talking - they're chirping. Everybody wants the title. Everybody wants to fight me; everybody thinks they can beat me. People are talking because they think I can't fight.
I gotta be able to beat good guys at any moment. I think that's what I'm taking.
No matter what anybody says or thinks, nobody believes that I'm not the number one welterweight in Strikeforce. I think that's not even a question.
It would be silly for me to work almost two and a half years chomping out whoever they put in front of me and for me to not capture that belt.
At the end of the day, it's a big difference to get the draw than to get the win, but I'll take either over a loss any day.
Life isn't easy, life isn't fair, when you get your chance, make sure you take it.Collection: Mma
I don't need to be in a comfortable spot to achieve greatness. I fight for it no matter what.Collection: Fighting
If the risk is high, the reward is high... Why not roll the dice?Collection: Mma
You can delay but you can't deny.Collection: Mma