When I'm getting ready for a fight - when I'm in that locker room or I'm making that walk and I finally get to the Octagon - it's all spiritual.
When I'm spiritually in the right place, there's no stopping me.
You're always trying to feel confident and to feel good about yourself, but what it comes down to is really giving up to someone else. Having faith.
Training is my life. It's all I've known since I was in second grade, when I started wrestling.
I wanna get myself in such good shape that no matter how much I push myself in a fight, I know that the other guy is gonna be a little bit more tired.
My training varies so much. There's no such thing as a typical day.
Boxing, Jiu Jitsu, some good old-fashioned wrestling and plenty of cardio. You name it, it's part of my routine.
Keeping my focus on what's important - inside the Octagon and out - is never lost on me.
I have a Gracie background and a Matt Serra background so I've always used jiu-jitsu but it takes a while to reach black belt level.
Rankings don't mean much to me but I'm working towards being the pound-for-pound best in everyone's mind.
Being the guy that ended the run of the greatest fighter ever will always be attached to my name.
I like to compete. So, any time I get to go live - which means go all out - that's what I like to do.
Any time you're banged up, your body hurts, you don't really feel like going to the gym. That's when I feel like you really have to push through it. That's when you really make the leaps and bounds in your game. So, pushing through those days is never easy, but that's what gets you good.
I think there's times where I'm introverted, and there's times where I'm extroverted.
There's times where you get the loud, crazy comments from me, and there's times where I say basic things, and stay quiet because I don't want to cause any drama. Sometimes I'm in the mood where I'm just going to tell it how it is, and have fun. And whoever doesn't like it, OK.
Everybody has a sinful nature pulling them at every turn.
I think wrestling is the one of the greatest sports there are.
I expect the worst of every situation, so if it does happen I'm prepared for it.
I've wrestled my whole life.
I wanted to be champion. I know fame comes with that.
