Demian Maia Quotes

I wanted to win the gold medal and then go home and further my education in college. I had no intentions whatsoever to become a professional fighter because I had heard horror stories about former boxers who made money but, in the end, ended up with nothing. I didn't want to be one of those guys.

I've been fighting professionally since I was 18, and I've been doing three or four fights a year, just doing camp after camp.

I want to fight the best in the world.

I asked for the toughest, best fights to my management, to my coaches.

I'm one of those heavyweights who'd like to fight as often as possible.

All I can do is make sure Demetrious Johnson does the best he can on fight night and goes out and wins his fights.

Very normal trajectory of a fighter's career - you start out fighting at the YMCA. You move on to the dog park. You get into a coliseum. On your way out, you go back to the YMCA, and then you finish up at the dog park.

I'm very experienced in four-round fights because of my amateur career, and I've got a high work rate.

One of my short films was about a boxer.

I remember when I used to go to York Hall and just watch, and I'd be like 'how are these people doing it.' Even though I was an amateur boxer at the time, I was like 'how are these guys fighting professionally in this arena?'

My next fight is always the most important fight, so regardless if I'm fighting for the title or not, I always have to go in there and give everything that I've got.

Fighting in England, for me, is the height of my career. It really is.

I believe in my skill 100 percent, that I can go out there and beat Demetrious Johnson and give him the best fight there is.

To do eleven fights in four months is pretty crazy. In some shows that we do in Asia, there are three or four fights over a six-month period, so you have time to recover and gain your stamina.

I haven't fought for a while and didn't want a warm-up fight. I wanted to jump right back in the pit and I got what I asked for. I got Anthony Pettis.

If you want to fight in the UFC, you've got to realize that you are just an elephant in the circus. As soon as you ask for more peanuts, you have to go find a different circus.

I'd love to be in a real boxing match, but I can't because of my face. I'm an actor!

I had Jake Ellenberger. I trained very hard for him; then I was able to get Carlos Condit, an excellent fighter. That's what it's all about.

My dream has always been to be a UFC champion. It wasn't to be a main event fighter.

I want to get the belt at 145-pounds.

I think a knockout over Elkins will really put me on the radar internationally.

I don't need any more motivation. I'm fighting Canelo Alvarez. If that can't get me motivated, then I'm in the wrong sport.

I'm a fighter. I'm not a promoter and I'm not a manager so I leave that up to my manager and my promoter and I just fight.

No fighter wants to risk getting ring rust.

I want to fight at middleweight.