People haven't seen the wars, in UFC, that I've had in Strikeforce and what I am capable of.
— Luke Rockhold
I used to goof off a lot.
Cardio is king. This is how you make sure you don't wear out in the fight.
Bisping is a tough guy. You can't write him off. He's good at everything. He's been able to beat some of the top guys out there because he can expose their weaknesses.
I'm doing very well outside the cage.
I like fighting clean. I've always fought clean, and I want to fight clean people. I want to fight fair.
Aggression has proven to get people in trouble, in many ways, with the champions.
If I get a guy that can take my shots and withstand my arsenal for the first round or two, I think you're going to see the best of me coming forward.
I defended my Strikeforce belt twice, and you didn't see me lose any of my intensity, drive, or motivation. That's just the way I am. I will always be hungry.
I don't like talking about cheaters.
To have the athletes weigh in on a stage, televised, it makes no sense. Holding us at weight to run us through medicals and a staging process, it lengthens the time we're depleting ourselves.
People probably don't give me the credit I deserve for holding the Strikeforce title, but the people who do know, know.
I'm in the pursuit of excellence. One foot at a time, one camp at a time.
Injuries are tough. I tore my ACL 50 percent in my left leg. I can't kick. I'm not going to fight without my left leg, which is my best weapon.
I think every fight helps for the next.
I've done all my bike circuit cardio workouts when I know I gotta push my numbers higher and I gotta be better than I was before. It sucks. Your body doesn't want to do it, but I've done that. I know I have that in me.
I was supposed to fight a guy back in the day. He didn't shower, specifically to throw off his opponents. Thank God I got injured, and I couldn't fight the fight. I was so worried about it. I was like, 'Oh my God - I heard about this guy.' It was the worst ever.
I am a very technical guy. I'm proud of my technique, my fluidity, and my skill; that's what I work on every day. I try to out-technique guys.
I have that brawler's mentality, and I can get into that realm, but when I'm at my best is when I'm patient, precise, and technical.
Maybe people overlook me because of the way I talk or the way I look. I don't know.
I think me and Werdum got some old beef from Strikeforce. He's a guy I've always wanted to fight. I've thought it through, and I like the style matchup.
I'm not going to take off time and lose money to go fight.
The highs and lows of Vitor Belfort, I would not want to be that guy. Be on top of the world getting all these 'knockouts of the night' and all these awards of the year and then all of a sudden get shunned into the shadows. He leads a shady life, and it seems like karma might be coming back.
I start kind of stiff, and then I understand the movement, the distance, and then I can start loosening up. That's how fighting should be. That's how I try to keep my mind.
I always knew what I could do in there and believed that I would win the world title. But when it actually happens, when your dreams all come true, it is the culmination of a life's work. The feeling you get, I don't have words for it. I don't know how to describe it.
I always believed in myself.
Men back up their words. Little boys run away.
Every time I'm in training mode, I've had to monitor what I'm eating. I'll break 210 and be around 215 pounds. I know what it takes to compete with the best guys at 205. I've trained with them.
I think Georges St-Pierre is a joke.
I don't understand people who just live to exist, live to be OK. Live to be regular, live to be average. It doesn't make any sense to me. I live to be the best. I don't live to be good. You only get one life, and I live to be great. I live to be special.
I've been chasing some paychecks. Modeling. I don't discriminate against paychecks. I've got to pay the bills.
I've taken my beatings and learned how to get around and succeed against the big guys.
My mom is, like, my biggest fan of my fight world, which is funny 'cause you'd think it'd be the opposite.
When I was a kid, when I was first getting excited about the opposite sex, fragrance was the thing. If you look good, you smell good, and you feel good.
I just don't see where Chris Weidman is going to threaten me. He's a tough guy, but I'm better on my feet, better on the ground. He's not going to threaten me with his wrestling.
To be stronger, you finish everything you start. You can't take a break.
I'm one of the most well-rounded fighters out there.
The heart of the sport is about the top guys fighting each other. This isn't WWE; this is fighting.
When you show me the right contract, I'll sign the right contract.
All I care is I've got the belt.
I get more relaxed. I get looser. I get more technical, I get faster, and you get to see way more of my game in the later rounds. In sparring, a lot of my best rounds are my third and my fourth. My fifth rounds are sometimes my best of all.
I will always be motivated to improve until I feel I've achieved my potential.
I like big fights.
I'm not one to turn down opportunities.
Compared to some other guys at 205, of course, I'll be a little small. But I've never tried to just physically go for it, bulk up, lift weights.
I want to put on performances no one else has. I want to be flawless every time.
In fighting, when someone's signed up to fight me, I'm not humble. I've never been humble.
I'm not here to dance around. I'm here to fight for titles.
When you're tense and you're forcing the issue, you kind of cloud your vision, so I think just being confident and super relaxed, waiting for my timing, has really helped me.
I think it's important to be subtle, sweet, and powerful.
