I'm trained in mixed martial arts. I started when I was 14 and did my first competition at 18. It was a grappling competition against all guys a weight category above me, and I got first place.
My father created this whole MMA thing.
I'm proud of my Italian roots, and I've always believed that I would get the chance to fight for the belt.
In 1968, I fought and won the world middleweight karate championship by defeating the world's top fighters. I then held that title until 1974, when I retired undefeated.
The heart of the sport is about the top guys fighting each other. This isn't WWE; this is fighting.
If Teila Tuli won the first UFC, everybody would have been learning sumo.
That was my dream since I was a kid, since I first saw a vale tudo event in my hometown of Sao Paulo. I wanted to compete.
The biggest shock was the first fight. I didn't know what to expect. I fought Fujita. At that time, he was one of the most dangerous PRIDE fighters. He was a complete beast and with 130 kilograms of pure muscle.
I have a black belt and used to compete when I was a kid! I did the Junior Olympics.
I was the youngest champion of the UFC.
It's up to the UFC. Whoever they put in front of me, I'll fight.
I would like to be the youngest UFC world champion. I believe I can accomplish that.
Fighting in the UFC means that I'm at the top of the sport, and it means that I'm able to pursue my goal of being a champion in the UFC.
I'm not afraid to grapple with anybody in the lightweight division.
I'm not a UFC athlete. I'm a UFC fighter.
Actually, when I fought in PRIDE, we had the best fighters in the world. Back then, the UFC had a very serious and big crisis; they were going through some tough times trying to get top fighters. All the best fighters were in PRIDE.
Honestly, I would love to fight Henry Cejudo. You've got that gold medalist in the Olympics, I would love to test myself against that.
I will beat Aldo. I wanna fight him.
I think the Eddie Alvarez fight is a good fight that makes sense - a couple Italian guys throwing down. I've got nothing but respect for the guy.
'Fight Master' is a proving ground for young, aspiring fighters who want a chance to play on a bigger stage. That's something it has in common with 'The Ultimate Fighter,' which has always been like a farm league for the UFC, a place to develop new talent.
I want to be the first British person to lift a UFC World Title.
I beat Ryan Bader, and that beautiful knockout got me a shot at the title. That's the kind of thing that puts you close to the top.
I'm not really too big of a sports fan. Everything I watch is MMA, you know, great fights. But other sports, not really too much.
I get to fight a tough dude like Koscheck, and then a title shot if I win? It's great.
My brother, who created the UFC, had a vision. He knew that people wanted to see who was the best fighter. People have curiosity, what style was the best? Boxing, wrestling, Gracie jiujitsu? It was a quest to find out.
