Everyone has jitters in their first fight.
No, I've never been frightened before a fight.
My first fight was incredible; it was surreal. I almost forgot I had to fight, I was so overcome with emotion. It was just an amazing experience.
I was nervous my first fight, my heart was pumping at 1,000 beats per second.
You're always nervous before a fight.
There's a ton of nerves for every fight I've been in; it doesn't matter if it was my debut.
I remember the first time I fought somebody with a name and that was Tito Ortiz. I didn't start fighting until like the second round because I was like, 'Oh my God, that's Tito Ortiz. That's Tito Ortiz from TV. Look how big his head is, damn.'
Most fighters are nervous before they go out there. Nervousness makes the body tight. I don't like that. I want to fight with a normal feeling. That's why I move the fingers, shoulders, everything. I try to move like spaghetti.
Upon awakening in the morning, I wondered if the proceedings of the night before had been a dream. It was hard to believe that I was the world's heavyweight champion.
I don't fear Holmes, but I think he's a good fighter. He has a lot of pride. But I wouldn't be fighting him if I feared him. It's going to be a tough fight. People say with all the hoopla out there, I won't be able to handle it. I believe the pressure's on him. I'm just going to do my thing.
Ring rust is real. I've experienced it myself.
