You look at teams in college, the MMA world, and beyond that allow bullying, where guys get jealous during training and stuff like that. You need to have a space where everyone feels like they have an equal opportunity - like they have support, people watching out for them.
The Jens Pulver fight was one that was on a massive level: I was a world champion fighting a former world champion, and a guy that I looked up to. We had a great fight.
There's guys who train hard. There's guys who believe they're real tough. But there's only a certain amount of guys who believe - like, really believe - they should be the champion. I know I have that mentality, and I know other guys who have that mentality.
The most important thing in a fighter is his mentality. Do you really believe that you're the baddest dude on the planet?
When you're at world championship level, you're fighting other guys who are at a world championship level.
Things change when you're fighting the best guys in the world.
I'd be down to go to 135. I've competed most of my life at that weight.
You can't make mistakes against top guys.
This sport is not very forgiving.
Dana White's awesome. He's an emotional guy, but I feel like he's a good guy. He's an emotional guy. He's like Donald Trump. He says whatever the hell he wants.
The longer you stay out of this sport, the less sharp you are, and I've been aware of that; that's why I've stayed and haven't wanted to retire and come back - because you skip a beat.
I know in my heart that I can compete at multiple weights.
There's only a certain amount of times in my life where I'm going to get to experience every single person directing their energy and focus on you, screaming at you.
I want to be remembered as just basically somebody who fought with a lot of passion.
I knew I was a world champion and a top contender at the highest level for over a decade, but I think I'll be remembered as somebody that was an ambassador for the sport, someone who helped build something bigger than myself, and also for the team I've been able to build.
People want to see me fight all sorts of people out there.
I don't think Conor's scared of anything. He's game to fight.
I love this sport. I love what I do. I love fighting and combat, and I love to train hard. But I want to be at my best.
I enjoy competing, and I love to get out there, and I feel like I could compete with anyone in the world, and it took me a long time to get like that.
I've loved just being a part of other people's success.
