How many fighters are going to be able to leave the legacy that I did? Nineteen years old, I came and I conquered.
At the end of the day, us fighters, all we have is respect.
If someone ever says I had an easy fight in the UFC, they are lying.
Anytime you can be the face of the UFC is so huge, a great honor, and I would do everything I could to keep it that way.
In my pro and amateur fights I've always mentioned Mexico.
For me, it was just a huge honor to fight in the UFC.
I don't care what you say about me anymore! I don't care what you write about me anymore. I don't care! This is my life. I can't have anybody messing with my life. I just want to be Gerry Cooney, doing what I want to do. I want to be what I am. A fighter.
They call me the Magic Man because I'm a classy fighter, a master of my craft, a good-looking Italian kid from Brooklyn who came through a dark and gritty life to find something magical.
I think being 50 and being me is different than any other fighter in any era.
I've never asked for more money, not one time in my career. I fought Demian Maia for $30,000. The No. 2 guy in the world, I was fighting for $30,000. So I don't care about money.
