I didn't come from a household where my mother dragged me outside and said, "You'd better fight." My mother wouldn't let me fight. I was not an aggressive kid.

I was very dedicated and serious about fighting. I'd read about all the fighters. I found out where they came from, knew about their mothers and their fathers . . . I just read all about their lives, their training.

Everybody has a gameplan until he gets hit

Nothing is more humbling than getting your ass kicked.

I don't want to be remembered. As long as my kids remember me, I'd rather be forgotten by everybody else.

I just look around and say, I'm a mess. I don't know why I do things.

I probably have a 20,000-word vocabulary. I'll match my wits with anyone on literature, science and the arts.