Amateur Fights Quotes

Before the start of the '76 Olympics, I'd had 160 amateur fights. I won 155 and lost five.

My first four fights in amateur at middleweight, and the first four professional were at welterweight. And I just kind of went down from there.

My family actually owns an MMA promotion company, so it's kind of a family deal. It's called Fight Sports Entertainment, and they throw amateur fights in California. Because of that, I've given my mom a lot of the fighters to fight in a show.

I had no idea if I could fight when I first started. My first four amateur fights, I had never even been punched in the face or trained of any kind.

I had 45 amateur fights, and I was able to win two national titles in those three years as an amateur.

I went to college, I wrestled and I took some amateur fights. When I graduated, I wanted to start using my degree, but I figured I would start fighting professionally. Then I won 18 in a row and I fought Eddie Alvarez on pay-per-view.

Counting amateur fights, I have over a thousand bouts.

A great champion needs a background in amateur boxing, I’'m convinced of that. There you learn everything that you’ll need later as a pro. Someone who’s got more than 400 amateur fights behind him no longer gets nervous before going into the ring and doesn’t lose his nerve during a fight. You know all the boxing styles, you’re prepared for anything, you’ve got the pedigree that you need to be a successful pro.

In my pro and amateur fights I've always mentioned Mexico.

I started doing martial arts since I was 12, and then I went into wrestling in college. After I met John Hackleman, I started getting really serious about it, and after a few amateur fights, I got an invite to the UFC and have been in love with it ever since.

I grew up in a gym in Miami, the one where Muhammad Ali trained. I had 142 amateur fights and lost three.

I've had 12 amateur fights, 18 professional fights and I've come to Russia, not just to Russia but to Chelyabinsk, home of Sergey Kovalev who has an impressive resume. The fact I've come to his backyard means I feel it will go down as one of the best results ever.