The wrestling experiences I've had, the understanding I have of my body, that stuff has allowed me to excel.
— Johny Hendricks
I think it's a dying thing these days, taking a chance. People don't always do it because they have comfort. And, you know, there might be something else out there you can do that makes you happier than the situation you're in.
You take it fight by fight, day by day. That's how I live it. That's how I train.
I've got to believe in my skills.
I'm truly excited to be a part of the Reebok family. What really comes through when working with Reebok team is that they live and breathe fitness. They have an incredible heritage in training and know exactly what it takes to help athletes be as fit as they can be.
I can fight for my honor, but fighting for my family is the most important thing. Making sure they get what they want. That's all that matters.
I don't take anything personal.
I'm done fighting at welterweight. Unless they open up a 175-pound division, I'm moving up to middleweight.
There's no reason to be involved in the sport if I'm not going to fight to my best ability.
Word of mouth is very powerful.
There's nobody at welterweight I didn't face that I wasn't stronger than. I didn't face anybody that I didn't feel I couldn't outpower.
I'm going to do everything in my power and train as hard as I can to make sure that 12-pound gold buckle that says UFC on it is somewhere at my house.
Pressure lets you know what kind of person you are.
The hardest thing is that the people who don't know anything about fighting, they label you. Once they get to know me, they're like, 'Ah, you're not anything like I thought.' That's probably the hardest thing about being a fighter - everything else is easy.
I wrestled at 165 pounds in college. I would actually cut from 205 pounds down to 165, and it wasn't really a big deal for me. With me wrestling all of the time, my body got used to it.
I spent a lot of my childhood growing up in Oklahoma, where I wrestled and played baseball.
Fighting lives and dies; you can't fight forever.
To be a world champion from Oklahoma is something that really pushes me.
The most important thing is to win fights. It doesn't matter how you do it.
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.
I've got to keep my name out in the public eye. That's how you get more fans, and the more fans you get, the more want to see you fight for the title.
If you are out there golfing, and you hit a bad shot, anyone who knows golf will tell you that you just have to forget about it. If you don't, you'll hit another bad one and another and then another. It plays with your head. It's the same way in a fight.
One thing I'm very grateful for is that I know, every time I leave, my wife is going to keep my kids happy, and whenever I get home, they are going to miss me.
I still like fighting, it just got to a point in MMA where it was just another day.
Fans and reporters, they don't get that ever since I was five, all I've done is competed against something. I always had a goal. Then, whenever you hit a point, there's a point in an athlete's life where it's like, 'Is it still worth it?'
One thing I've learned is portion control. So, for example, if I eat pizza, instead of eating the whole thing, I eat three slices, and then I put it up.
Check out my pictures. I'm fat. You know what I mean? But I love it. I love it. I'm a fat dude.
I think my strength is going to be my greatest attribute and speed.
But after defeating Carlos Condit, I've shown I deserve to have a title shot.
For some reason, I have a thick skull.
Pride is an amazing thing.
I really didn't know If I wanted to pursue the Olympics for wrestling. I didn't know what to do with my life. So, I prayed about it. My manager called me a few weeks later and asked if I wanted to fight. I agreed to give it a shot, and I went out and got knocked out.
I drive a big F-350. It's a dually. I put Ranch Hand front bumpers on it so it sticks out about another 12 inches.
I know that I wouldn't be where I'm at if it wasn't for God.
I always thought I could be pretty good, and it turns out fighting has made me happy.
I have wrestling. Yes, I do; my background is wrestling. I have knockout power. Just because I don't go out there and use it all, you don't have to use it all to win fights.
If I beat Carlos Condit, nobody's in my way.
GSP can't hide from me forever, you know.
I just want the belt. That's the only thing that's pushing me, the only thing that's motivating me.
I'll be the first one to tell you that I'm fat out of season. I love McDonald's, and I love Taco Bell. But, whenever it comes fight time, I'm always ready.
The Lord blessed me with great strength.
My wife and kids mean more than the belt or UFC or anything else to me.
That's my goal for every fight, is to hit them as hard as I can.
I didn't enjoy fighting. All I cared about was trying to beat the scale. Once that got to a point where I couldn't compete with the scale anymore, I was like, 'I'm done.'
If you do what you love, you're going work your butt off every day.
You see a lot of guys who are told they will be the number one contender if they win the fight in front of them. They have fought a couple of really tough guys to get there, but when the chance is presented to them, something happens in some shape or form, and they aren't able to take it. They end up losing. That was the biggest fear for me.
When my kids grow up, my goal is someday, someone will come up to them and say, 'Your dad was an amazing person.' Not saying I was an amazing fighter but a genuine person. That's what I strive for.
I've got a wife who keeps me humble.
I grew up working hard to earn everything I had.
The toughest fight I've ever had was T. J. Grant.
