Johny Hendricks Quotes

I don't believe in ring rust. I used to believe in ring rust, but I talked to my buddy Dominic Cruz, who's a bantamweight, and he basically said it's a mindset. What you do in between in your time off determines how you're going to look when you come in there.

Ring rust is real. I've experienced it myself.

It's not an excuse, but I'd say I didn't perform well in the big fights because I wasn't prepared properly.

I worry about myself in the ring; I worry about what I can do and how I can dictate a fight.

When I was in top shape I'd go to the ring and show my conditioning.

During my first Olympics in 1980, at the age of 23, I was physically in great condition but mentally too inexperienced to cope comfortably in the pressure cooker of an Olympic year.

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.'

My coaches know when it's a big fight, I'm at the gym because if they give me some pretender, another actor, I might not take it.

When I prepare for a fight, I never expect it to be easy. I believe that that would create a chance for me to not give my best in the Octagon.

A lot of fighters get frustrated when they're not active.

I understand the psychology of the sport, especially inside the ring.

Fighters don't just fight. Not the good ones who have long, long success. The guys who make championship runs. The guys who fight for world titles. They get fizzled out, chewed up and spit out like a revolving door and then the next guy or the next female comes in to take their spot.

One of the scariest things for any athlete, I think, is pretty much the off season.

Inactivity is the biggest sin in boxing.

If you look after yourself, keep yourself healthy and have good sparring, there shouldn't be any issues regarding ring rust.

They say 'you've over trained, you've left it in the gym' is the most common phrase used in boxing but my god it is the truest.

It's all mental. I just have to worry about my game.

If I train hard and have a great training camp, and I'm as prepared as I can be, I can take any heavyweight in the world.

I don't mind getting beaten by Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr and people like that, but I'd hate to go into a training camp with my heart not fully in it and risk getting beaten by somebody who shouldn't be beating me.

Every fight, I train for the opponent very hard and smart.

I think that's the biggest thing in this sport is when you prepare, you have extra confidence.

You have to first of all feel good with yourself before doing something which requires being fast or driving a racing car.

I never think about the knockouts. I go into every fight, do my work, and none of that stuff puts pressure on me at all.

Audley Harrison is quite a soft, gentle guy. He gives it all the talk but, when he's in the ring, you can see he's scared to death.

When you go out there, and you're in the ring, honestly, half the time you forget what city you're even in because you're so focused on what you're doing and the task at hand.