I've beaten a lot of great fighters, but people say the big ones, I've lost them all. I don't want to go down as a guy who loses his big fights.
— Michael Bisping
I was a big fan of martial arts movies - Bruce Lee in particular, as cringeworthy as it is. Jean-Claude van Damme was a big inspiration as well - it's a little embarrassing.
The Liverpool lad Darren Till looked unbelievable in his UFC debut, and he seems like quite a character.
Maybe when I'm done fighting, I'll open a gym and manage fighters and train fighters.
The more in shape you are, the harder you can push yourself.
I'm a proud Brit and a proud Englishman.
What matters - the only thing that matters - is winning. It's nice to entertain the fans and to gain new ones, especially from the States, but on the night... that's all that matters.
I want to be liked; I just haven't lost sleep over it.
If a football player has a bad game, he's allowed to do that because he plays once or twice a week. With fighting, it's once every few months.
Patrick Cote, that would be one way traffic. I'd destroy the guy.
I'm not homophobic in the slightest. I have lots of gay friends.
I swear to God, I don't even know who Demi Lovato is. My son has a crush on her. Apparently, he was sat next to her when I knocked Luke Rockhold out, so Demi Lovato knows who I am, that's for sure.
I beat Anderson Silva and then Luke Rockhold, who was, pound-for-pound, one of the best. Now I get to do Dan Henderson, who is a legend in the sport.
I love the way of life out in California, and I've made a lot of friends out there. The food is amazing.
I don't need their love. If they want to boo, let them boo.
I have been involved in this sport since I was eight years old, so, hopefully, I can train and coach athletes down the line.
I had held titles in all the major U.K. organisations, but we were struggling to make ends meet. There were times you don't have a fight lined up, and the bills are stacking up.
Once I started fighting in UFC, things took a big U-turn. After my second fight, I came home and paid my mortgage off.
Ultimately, when two professionals meet, I don't really see the location as being a defining factor. If you're a psychologically weak fighter, maybe it would be. But if you're a seasoned pro, it doesn't really come into it.
I'm terrified of having to go back to a day job. And that's why I'm training like a man possessed. Because I want to keep winning.
I don't need others to push me. I push myself.
I've been on both sides of the boos.
Financially, I've done very well doing what I do. I've got plenty of money in the bank. I've got gigs with FOX doing analyst work, media work. The UFC has been very kind to me. Ultimately, however, I want to be world champion. I have to achieve that to validate my entire career.
Let's be honest: I don't want to walk out to boos. I always want to be cheered, like anyone, and I've been very lucky over the years to have a lot of support. Coming to America, I'm always the away guy, and so people thought their guy had to take me out, and they boo.
Fighting is different than other sports because you're not competing as regularly.
I haven't seen any of the Cung Le movies, but I have seen the Cung Le Q&A that he did in San Jose, and I've got to say that was pretty hard to watch. That was pretty cringeworthy. Listen: stick to kicking; sticking to kicking eggs and setting Guinness World Records, because entertaining a crowd certainly isn't your thing.
Back then in the early '90s, people weren't calling it MMA - we called it Knockdown Sport Budo.
A long time ago, I had a bird that annoyed me, and the bird had to go. The bird's neck was snapped. I would also snap Conor McGregor's neck in a similar fashion.
Fighting at home does bring pressure - of course it does. But I've always thrived on that.
A lot of Americans say the food in England sucks. I don't think the food in England sucks - the food is great - but I've got to say, the Americans have got the dining out experience nailed down.
If you want to boo, that's your right. Boo. Go ahead. Boo me all day long.
Due to the UFC educating people on MMA as a sport, people give us the respect as athletes, opening doors to opportunities which wasn't available in the past. It has been amazing to be part of the UFC journey.
In my teenage years, I started kickboxing, then did a little boxing. When the UFC and MMA exploded in the early 2000s in the U.S.A. and Japan, I saw a way to make money and a career.
There's no shortage of fighting talent in the UFC; that's what makes it such a great organisation, and that's why I'm so proud to be a part of it.
I hate it when people call me a cage fighter. I'm a mixed martial artist. But people take one look at what we do, and they just start making assumptions.
I can't understand how some guys get tired after one round. If you can't go the distance, why are you even in the fight?
When I'm in the gym, different training partners tell me that I've got great conditioning, and I tell them, 'Really? Because, I'm dying here.' I think that I'm just as tired as anyone; I just push myself mentally.
I'm an emotional fighter; that's no secret. But it can be detrimental.
I hate the expression, 'I'm not fake.'
It's going to take more than one loss for me to hang up my gloves; that's for sure.
Anderson Silva kind of took the best part of Rich Franklin out of his soul, and he was never the same again.
A lot of people get up to the top of the pile, maybe get one No. 1 contender match-up, and if they lose, they drift into obscurity. I lost, and I went back a bit. But I built myself back up. Three times.
Some people are born for a certain thing. And for me, unfortunately, I wish it was something a bit more artistic or whatever, but I was a born fighter. That's what kept me coming back. It makes me feel alive. And, I just know, there is nothing I do better in this world than fight.
I'm very happy with my wrestling.
I have nothing against America; I love spending time there. I fell in love with the country the very first time I went out there, and I have a lot of fans in the U.S.
I'm not going to please everyone; not everyone's going to like me. I accepted that a long time ago, and if I had to shed a tear every time I got a hate email, believe me, I'd be severely dehydrated.
UFC has done a fantastic job of establishing the biggest leading brand in mixed martial arts. Years ago, many people didn't know what MMA was nor understand the sport.
I am proud to be the first British champion, and headlining MSG is a testament to all the hard work.
