You see this with fighters all the time, if you're not staying active, you're kinda put on the shelf a little bit.
— Stephen Thompson
Me coming from a karate and kickboxing background, Anderson Silva was like my idol, and so was Machida, especially with his karate background.
Thank goodness I was blessed with a hard head.
A lot of people think martial arts are just fighting, but it's character-building, too, and I want to give back.
I've always been a fan of those guys. My dad was in military school and I have a bunch of buddies that are Marines, and I just kind of want to give back to those guys that gave more than enough for us.
I try my best not to get hit. I don't like getting hit.
People want to see fighters get punched in the face.
You never know what the UFC's going to bring.
I understand it's part of the sport, part of the game to have people who like you and people who don't.
Striking is what I do.
In kickboxing, if I walked around at 185 pounds, I fought at 185 pounds.
I'm constantly working my wrestling and jiu-jitsu, which is going to make me more confident in the Octagon.
I'm going to give it my all to get that title. And whether I make it or not, I'll know I've competed with the best. And that's enough for me.
I rage playing video games. I think that's the only time you will ever hear me say a cuss word.
I've never really had any beef with anybody yet, so I think that's a good thing.
When I was 15, I fought a guy who was 26 and he was 20-0, undefeated. It was a way for my dad to show me that I was better than I thought. I ended up beating the brakes off this 26-year-old guy. After the fight, the announcer asked my opponent how it felt. He answered, 'I wonder why I stepped in the ring with that boy.'
When you're out there in the octagon and you've got thousands of people, millions across the world, either cheering for you to win or cheering for you to get knocked out, the adrenaline is going, so it doesn't hurt while you're out there. Now fast forward to about an hour and a half to two hours after the fight? Oh yes. It's pretty painful.
During the fight, if you feel something, you know it's pretty bad, because normally you don't feel anything. You get punched and elbowed in the face, you don't feel it until after the fight.
I spent some time with Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida when they were training at Blackhouse in California. This was before I was in the UFC.
After my last fight with Woodley, I ended up hurting my knee so I was out for almost six months.
I know what martial arts have done for me. They've taught me integrity, self-control, perseverance and an indomitable spirit.
I'd fight for free to be honest with you.
As a fighter my goal is not to get hit and frustrate my opponent. Once I get you frustrated then I got you.
It's difficult when you step out there with somebody like me and my offense.
I've been called all kinds of stuff, it's part of the game. You take it personal, then you're in trouble. It will affect you, your training. It comes with the territory.
Matt Brown did exactly what he said he was going to do. He kicked my butt. But it was a war. I would love to do it again. Matt Brown's a good dude and a great fighter. He's made it up to the top and man, he's a monster.
Everybody wants to see somebody get knocked out. I'm sorry but it's the fight game and that's what they want to see.
Constantly moving, from side to side. Keeping your opponent guessing. If you stand still long enough, a wrestler is going to shoot for your legs. He's going to see where your legs are at. But, if you keep him constantly guessing, they can't get a bead on those legs. So, constant movement is probably one of the best takedown defenses you could use.
Demian Maia, he's a tough, scary guy.
If you're strong mentally, you can do anything.
To be honest with you, getting knocked out isn't that bad. It's not what everybody makes it out to be.
The average MMA guys have a boxer's stance which makes it easier for a wrestler when they try and take you down. I tend to stand sideways and that gives them only one leg to shoot for, it tends to make it more difficult to try and take me down.
Conor has taken the UFC to a whole new level. It's his whole demeanor that appeals to me. He's a fighter, he's a Viking, and on top of that, he's got the gift of gab.
You know I tore my MCL in the fight with Till. We did an MRI and thankfully nothing else was damaged.
Robert Whittaker is definitely a different fighter from when I fought him last. His takedown defense is ridiculous - ridiculous - and his cardio is out there. Like, the guy does not get tired.
A lot of people think you're not the champion until you defend it one time.
A lot of people look down on people who are successful, but Conor McGregor is successful because he runs his mouth and he knows how to put on a show. I mean, look at his press conferences. I mean, come on. People show up just to see him just act nuts. Hats off to that guy, he's a very intelligent, very smart guy.
You never go into the ring feeling 100 percent.
You just have to put in the work. Work really hard, get a good coach and a good gym. You have to have the right mindset to be a champion. Don't make excuses on going to the gym like your ankle is sore or what.
I believed I could knock out Rory MacDonald, Johny Hendricks and Jake Ellenberger, and sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't, but I know I can knock these guys out.
Everybody asks 'would you fight Conor McGregor?' - of course I'd fight Conor McGregor but it's not because of the money. It's because he's such a huge martial artist and everybody considers themselves the best if you fight Conor McGregor, if you beat Conor McGregor. I look at it like that.
I've been fighting since I was 15 years old, so I've had pretty much everything that could be said, said to me.
I love Montreal. I love the people, I love the history.
I do respect everybody who I step in the Octagon with.
You can defend a single-leg takedown a little bit easier than you could a double-leg takedown.
Anybody in the division's top 15 I would love to fight.
I just want to be able to say I fought the best fighters in the world.
I was like 'You know what? I'm training with these champions. Guys like Georges St-Pierre, Rashad Evans, Nate Marquardt... Let me give this MMA thing a shot.'
My dad grew up in a little place near Charleston called Moncks Corner.
Elvis was a seventh-degree black belt in karate. My dad knew that he couldn't dance like Elvis or sing like him, but he thought maybe he could try karate, and he fell in love with it.
