I got in the limelight at a young age. At age 19, people were already comparing me to Anderson Silva.
I notice that I'm full of myself, and I am arrogant to some degree, but it's honestly only when it comes to talking about MMA.
Having that Christian base keeps me focused on what I have to do. It keeps me out of the clubs and in the gym.
I'm a champion, and I believe that if you're a champion, you can't be afraid to go out there and test yourself against the greatest challenges.
The biggest challenge is learning how to psych yourself up into believing in yourself as you walk into the Octagon.
I'm extremely confident. I do believe my own hype. And I'm working towards making it true.
I don't really deal in trash talk too much. But I show my confidence.
My parents always kept us in the house. We weren't allowed to spend the night at other people's houses. We were sheltered kids.
I just keep my eyes open and focus on the things I'm not good at and what makes other people better than me - technique and things outside the Octagon.
It was really tough being in jail. It doesn't get much lower. You're in a filthy room. The food is terrible, and you're surrounded by people who have done all types of crazy crimes. You have nothing that belongs to you, not even your own underwear. It's just terrible.
I have tons of pictures of myself as a kid with my medals, and they were never gold medals.
My wrestling dream was to become a Division I national champion. That was my No. 1 dream - not Olympics, not money. Just winning that tournament.
In my mind, I've never lost a fight.
Fighting was something inside of me that I didn't realize was there.
As long as I'm taking care of my family and breaking records and continuing to excel and continuing to find new endorsements - everything's working.
I've come to expect more out of myself - as a citizen, as a man, as an athlete - to reach a better place, a place I've never been.
Muhammad Ali was such an original - his antics, his character, his charisma, his strength, his individuality.
I don't enjoy hitting people; I enjoy outsmarting them.
A lot of coaches in MMA focus on MMA wrestling. My coach, his high school team is ranked 10th in the nation. Izzy Martinez is very connected to the wrestling community.
When it comes to MMA, there is a big chip on my shoulder. There is a way that I look at myself. I think it's really, really important, and it's something I'm not really apologetic for it. As I get older, and I win more, I start to embrace it even more.
