The torch needs to be held by somebody that's great. Because champions are made in the dark, baby. We don't need the lights and the spotlight. That stuff is for everybody else, man.
Tony Ferguson
Once I lose focus that's when I'm going to go tumbling down the hill.
Everybody has their good days and their bad days, there's always two sides to a story.
You don't have to use aggression to squash somebody. You have to use your brain.
When I first started fighting, it wasn't the easiest thing. I didn't have all the money in the world. I was eating Subway once in a while, some packets of oatmeal here and there. It wasn't that bad, but it's because I was fortunate and had good people there to support me.
Now if you play video games all the time and you're a real gamer, you're not going to use the Game Genie, you're not going to use the codes.
I might not always be given the respect that I should have, but it's what fuels me.
I work hard for my stuff. And even when I work hard for my stuff, it gets taken away - which is cool. It's alright. You can't take my smile. And you won't.
Nobody wants to be trapped inside that cage me. They don't want to be cut by my elbows, they don't want to get hit by any of my kicks and they don't want their conditioning checked by me.
I never make the same mistake twice. If you catch me slipping one time, good for you, but it ain't gonna happen again.
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 not one to throw anybody under a bus, but check this out: I'll be the first one to step in front of it.
I don't want that title to come to my hands and be like, 'nah, I don't feel like it was deserved or it wasn't earned or whatever' - not saying that any of my accolades weren't, but I want it to be special. I want it to be super special and just super dope, and even if it's not special to everybody else, at least it is to me.
A lot of people like to trash talk, but I don't. I like to use my movements inside the cage to do my talking.
I'm a fight finisher.
Preparing for a short-notice fight is dangerous, it doesn't even matter who you are preparing for. Short-notice fights suck.
You can love somebody without liking them.
Any of my previous fights before the UFC and 'the Ultimate Fighter' were all main events and co-main events.
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 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 like food. I like eating.
I thought Al Iaquinta did a great job at UFC 223, but Khabib is going to say he won the Super Bowl after he faced the third string? No way, dude. So many people hold him up on a high horse, but I see his flaws. I wasn't impressed with anything he did.
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.
Opportunity sometimes comes once in a lifetime.
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.
I'm from the 805, man. I don't have to talk about where I'm from, but I'm tough.
I own 170 and 155. These are my weight classes.
I don't follow nobody. If people want to follow me, it's because they see talent.
I'm the people's champ.
If I have a roof over my head and if I'm cashing checks and choking some necks I'm always happy.
One day, my bike tire broke miles from home and I found a way to fix it. That's what I learned: Even if you don't have all the tools, you can improvise.
I'm consistent.
My fuel for my fire is to be able to provide for my family.
This is an Olympic-level type of sport and it needs to be cleaned up.
I like to have job security.
I don't fight for anybody else besides myself and my family, so therefore I win.
I can go down to 145. I can kick everyone's butt there.
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.
Wits always win, man, in the battle of brain versus brawn.
I'm a fan pleaser.
I'm tired of labels. This is my label right here: El Cucuy.
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.
We all have to pay our bills. We all have to pay our taxes. Straight up.
I've been training like an Olympian.
The money will come to you, you've just got to keep winning.
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 want to be a multi-division champ.
This is a man's sport. I fight.
I thought this was the UFC and we're supposed to be the best and toughest fighters in the world.
