My dream is to be the best fighter at 155 pounds in the world.
Seminars, TV shows, documentaries, always spreading Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I'm an instrument of this art more than a character myself.
Nobody wants to be trapped inside that cage me. They don't want to be cut by my elbows, they don't want to get hit by any of my kicks and they don't want their conditioning checked by me.
I've been a death match fan since I can remember.
Now I'm with the American Top Team, I'm a better fighter, I'm a more patient fighter, I've improved in every aspect.
Stylistically, though, I've always liked Carlos Condit, because he at least amounted to at least the level of doing what I do. I mean, but I think he stands a little upright.
I believe in my wrestling and I believe in my jiu-jitsu.
I'm not just a wrestler anymore. I'm a very well-rounded fighter.
People see a lot of my standup, and that's what I'm known for since I was trained in karate and kickboxing, but I also have ground game.
The UFC does not owe me a thing. Nothing. I am in debt to them.
When I face an opponent in the cage, it doesn't really matter who they are. Whether they're my buddy, like Scott Jorgensen, or someone I don't like, like Dominick Cruz, I'm going in there and realizing this guy is trying to hurt me, and that's what I'm going to do to him. I try to keep it real basic.
My father created this whole MMA thing.
MMA is a sport. We go out here and we do battle. Everybody has family, friends, they train really hard.
I'm a guy who likes to keep fighting five, six times a year, so if I ask for too much money, they might say, 'Well, we pay you too much. We can't let you keep jumping backwards and forwards and promote it.' The money I'm making is good to keep grabbing short-notice fights. I love them; they're my favorite ones.
Listen to what I'm saying: I'm back. Junior Dos Santos, Alexander Volkov, or revenge against Stipe Miocic. That fight, I didn't do well, and I really want to fix it.
I already knew a lot about the ground aspects of MMA, being a wrestler, but there was so much more. There was kicking, punching, and other things I wish I could have done as a wrestler. It really stoked my interest.
It's sad when a MMA fighter talks to an NFL or NBA player about how much money they make. That's embarrassing. You tell them how much you make and they laugh.
Thiago Santos is a guy who can take your belt from you with one punch.
I've always been a UFC fan, and I like McGregor and the way he promotes it.
You're going to have to swallow Vitor Belfort. I'm going to reinvent myself and come back different every time.
People say that I'm a boxer. I actually started with kick boxing, and then I moved onto boxing, and then I moved onto grappling.
My second fight at UFC 1, I fought Ken Shamrock. In the fight I choked him. As soon as he tapped, I let go. He tried to continue, but the ref got kind of stuck like, 'should I let it go or stop the fight.' That's when I looked at the ref and I said, let it go, we're going to continue.
I'll fight anyone the UFC wants me to beat and defeat them.
I've heard that I could be facing Randy Couture. That would a great.
I always had dreamed one day Bruce Buffer's going to be introducing me... Derrick 'The Black Beast' Lewis... and I just always pictured him saying it.
