Athlete

I love to study people, and that's basically what sociology is.

I got into this sport to make a statement.

I would love to fight a lot more often, but of course it's the UFC, and whenever they feel that they have an opening, then they can put us in there because there's so many fighters.

My body knows my limits.

Can anyone tell me what Jon Jones was ranked when he fought for the UFC title? No one knows. I believe, in that aspect, it was easier to get fights back then. It wasn't, 'What's this guy ranked?' You fought, made your money, and went home.

There was a time when guys just had a specialty, like boxer or wrestler or jiujitsu guy. Then came guys who could blend taking you down with also being able to kick your head off.

In other countries, being from somewhere else is celebrated. But not in America.

I'm not just a grappler.

Once you sign a contract that states that you're going to have to fight this other man for a substantial amount of money, things change psychologically.

At the end of the day, I'm a professional.

In my village where I'm from, there's still not running water everywhere. People are still struggling to get clean water.

I always envisioned hearing them say, 'and new,' and wrapping that belt around me and thinking of all the things I was fighting for.

You never say never. That's one of the lessons I've learned.

I am what I am. I don't regret anything.

Once I go into these fights, and we have to go through the ringer to prepare for them, and we know I'm not 100 percent going in, winning is the most important thing, and dominating is the most important thing, and that's what we've been doing.

A lot of people are still suffering from water-borne diseases... We want to create something where we can make life better for everyone.

I'd like to think I'm a hybrid to where, if you had to pick, where would you say I'm weak? I can outwrestle guys; I can outgrapple guys. I can put your lights out, and I have a gas tank for days. I can do it all.

Listen, anybody can put their head down and throw a haymaker and pray and hope it lands.

When I fought in The Ultimate Fighter Finale, I had microfracture surgery, and that's usually eight month's recovery turnaround. I had to fight three months after that, and I fought three months after that. And I had to train through that with that.

Not everybody out here trains with me; not everybody knows what I'm capable of. My coaches know what I'm capable of, my training partners know what I'm capable of, and I know what I'm capable of.