You don't have to use aggression to squash somebody. You have to use your brain.
— Tony Ferguson
You put the pressure on this guy. You test his conditioning. You test the cardio. You test the heart, the will. That's how you beat RDA.
I'm a superstar. And I move like a superstar in that Octagon, and I expect somebody to move like that when they signed that dotted line with me.
This is a fighter sport.
I'm consistent.
Well, being my type of fighter and my type of guy, you know I throw a lot of barrage of punches, kicks, knees and elbows.
I'm not one to throw anybody under a bus, but check this out: I'll be the first one to step in front of it.
The UFC has a long history of changing a fighter's compensation for a particular bout... There's always changes that's always being made as far as contracts.
I'm a fight finisher.
This is an Olympic-level type of sport and it needs to be cleaned up.
I wrestled in college at 165.
A jab is established through timing and that's how I take it. Cause I have a 76-inch reach but I'm not worried about range. I'm looking to establish that timing so I can see when that chin is available or I see that the nose is available, I can pop it.
Opportunity sometimes comes once in a lifetime.
I like to push my body to just extremity to get past the mental toughness barriers. So fighting at 145, that would be great. If Kenny Florian can do it, I can do it.
It's what you do after making a mistake - that's what I like to see. As long as you mature and grow with it, that's fine.
I like to have job security.
I want to be a multi-division champ.
Preparing for a short-notice fight is dangerous, it doesn't even matter who you are preparing for. Short-notice fights suck.
It's not just about knockouts, son. This is mixed martial arts. It's about finishing people. It's about putting in that time, putting in all five rounds.
I'm beefy. I feel good at 170. My wife loves me at 170.
If I were to fight Khabib, guaran-damn-tee you I would throw him from his feet to his back and beat him like in sambo like a five-point move in wrestling. That's my background.
I always want to fight someone who is going to be game out there.
It's interesting how Khabib fights but to me it's just boring, it's lazy.
Everybody has their good days and their bad days, there's always two sides to a story.
I might not always be given the respect that I should have, but it's what fuels me.
I'm tried of D'arce, D'arce, D'arcing people, but if I have to D'arce somebody else up, the D'arce Knight will return.
I've been training like an Olympian.
I like food. I like eating.
I grew up around really tough-nosed guys so that's all I know.
Any of my previous fights before the UFC and 'the Ultimate Fighter' were all main events and co-main events.
Once I lose focus that's when I'm going to go tumbling down the hill.
I'm tired of labels. This is my label right here: El Cucuy.
This is a man's sport. I fight.
I can go down to 145. I can kick everyone's butt there.
I'm an Ultimate Fighter winner at 170. At 155, I'm always proving myself. I have nothing to prove to any of the fans, but to myself, it's my skillset.
Don't give me an easy fight. I want somebody that's worth it, that's put in their time and put in the amount of effort.
I own 170 and 155. These are my weight classes.
At my academy, I have a full 20x20 canvas but I don't have any ropes around it and do that for a reason so I don't get on my back on the ropes.
You can't just learn wrestling overnight.
If I have a roof over my head and if I'm cashing checks and choking some necks I'm always happy.
Everybody wants to see this fight. Everybody wants to see these fireworks. They want to see that explosiveness. They want to see me throw Khabib on his back and get that five-point motion with this U.S.A. wrestling. Because if wrestling was easy, it would be called Sambo, my friend. Straight up, I'm going mop that dude up.
I'm a fan pleaser.
I'm from the 805, man. I don't have to talk about where I'm from, but I'm tough.
I would love to fight Khabib, but there's no guarantee he's going to show up and make the weight.
I could see myself going to lightweight, but I love welterweight.
I always knew and my parents always knew I was destined for greatness. I didn't know what sport it was going to be in. I played football, baseball and wrestling.
I think I would pose a big threat at 145.
I'm looking for pound-for-pound list to be the best in the world and it takes belts to get there so let's get there.
I thought this was the UFC and we're supposed to be the best and toughest fighters in the world.
The money will come to you, you've just got to keep winning.
