In college, I tried to start wrestling as soon as I could and when it was available to me, as I loved competing, and then got into MMA under Pat Miletich, where I was able to sharpen all my skills and develop into a true fighter.
Robbie Lawler
The basics win fights.
I want to knock people out.
I worry about myself in the ring; I worry about what I can do and how I can dictate a fight.
Everyone likes different things. Not everyone's the same. Not everyone runs their mouth. Not everyone can fight.
I was a huge Mike Tyson fan, would sit through the night watching boxing matches and would hit the bag at every opportunity I would get.
I'm not gonna tell any man what he should do in life.
I only know I feel good when I fight.
I'm going to fight until my body says otherwise.
There wasn't much money in this sport when I started, but I didn't get into it because of money. I loved to fight, and I loved MMA.
You can only stay at a high level so long before you need to rest your body.
For me, it's always the same: worrying about how I can get better, the techniques I can do.
I'm tactical, and I have a lot of heart - something that you don't see when you watch a lot of fights.
I think the UFC's done a great job of building the brand, building the UFC, building MMA.
I just want to be a better fighter, plain and simple.
I just worry about myself. I'm just gonna be me and do me. If people appreciate it, cool. If not, I'm gonna still be me.
When you're coming up, and you have Matt Hughes, Tim Sylvia, Jens Pulver and Pat Miletich, Jeremy Horn to train with and compete with - guys that have fought in Japan, all over the world - and you see these guys every day, you just embrace the grind and get after it: you have no choice but to succeed.
I'm not just a guy who can knock people out.
My coaches and I always stress getting better and working on all aspects, so I'm ready to fight and take it to the next level.
I know you can't fight forever, and there's only so long you can do this.
My techniques are basics, but my willingness to be in the pocket and see things is very high level.
The thing is I always believed in myself. I always believed that I was going to be the best in the world.
Who am I to say anybody can't do what they want to do and create their own destiny if they believe in something?
If you look at all aspects of all sports, everything comes down to basics and fundamentals.
I'm just willing to do a lot, take a lot, and force people into a fight. That's something a lot of people aren't ready to do. Some people are.
I don't really dabble into the politics of MMA too much.
I always thought I could be the best, and that's what I've been doing all these years.
Obviously, CM Punk is a really big draw for the UFC. He's going to bring a lot of eyes to the UFC, and the better he does, the better it'll be for all MMA fighters as far as sponsorships and stuff.
When push comes to shove, I'm a fighter, and I'm going to force someone to fight. It takes a lot of technique, it takes a lot of skill, but to take that, and make something of it, it's a lot of heart and a lot of determination, and that's something I have. That's who I am.
I'm just a quiet guy who loved to fight.
Drew McFedries was the hardest hitter I've ever been around. A big, strong, athletic guy with power. He didn't have to hit you with a hard shot or load up - even the little short shots could hurt you.
My coaches have done a good job of tightening my skills, where I can dictate a little bit more where the fight is going.
I've actually done a really good job listening to my body, relaxing. Some days you train hard, some days you rest a little bit.
I want it to be one-sided. I don't want to take any bumps or bruises: I want to go out and dictate all aspects and go out the way I came in. I'm looking to dominate and dictate.
You don't appreciate what you have when it all comes to you real quick. I went from nothing to everything all at once.
I never lost sight of my goals. I never stopped thinking I could reach the top.
I fought for, like, five years in Hawaii - nothing better than that. It was awesome. Every fight, I went on vacation, and I wasn't cutting any weight, so I could just eat whatever I wanted. I enjoyed it.
I'm just fighting a lot of high-level guys. I feel everyone is trying to be tactical, everyone is trying to put their A-game out there, and I have to find a way to win. I'm all about moving on and trying to get better.
It doesn't matter who I'm facing. I'm concentrating on myself.
I just move forward and not worry about the things I can't control.
I was getting a lot of good work with my wrestling up in Iowa, but I needed a more all-around game, striking, jiu-jitsu at a high level. I had a lot of good coaches out at ATT to work with. They pushed me. Everything was smarter. Everything was precise.
Holly Holm is a heck of an athlete and a heck of a fighter.
I don't really pick my opponents.
There's always going to be some phenom fighter coming up. If they're special athletes and highly trained, they'll do big things.
I'm just trying to be a better fighter every time I compete, so it's all about being more strategic and looking for a way to get a finish.
I was always into martial arts and boxing.
Fighting somebody like Manhoef, who can take anyone out at any point in time - that was a big win for me and one of the best finishes. In that fight, it wasn't looking good for me, but I kept believing in myself and was able to land a big shot, which was huge!
You want to go out there, and you want to be sharp, and you want to execute your game plan and... get it done fast.
Every fighter wants to... take the least amount of damage possible.
I was a striker before a wrestler. I've always wanted to knock people out.
