I'll always try to go the safest route, but once someone strikes you or puts their hands on you then it's on, at least for me.

Train hard, get good coaching and don't forget that its mixed martial arts. Don't get tied into one style of fighting and focus on multiple disciplines.

I don't try to knock 'em out, I just know I will

I'll always try to go the safest route, but once someone strikes you or puts their hands on you then it's on, at least for me.

I've never found that getting physical is ever the best response in a bar. You just have to make sure you keep your distance, and if it gets to a point where it gets aggressive then the best thing to do is go get a bouncer and get the situation resolved intelligently.

I'll fight somebody in my backyard for free, just to see if I'm better than him.

A fighter with heart will almost always win out against a fighter with skill but no will.