Title Bout Quotes

I had to fight Donald Cerrone, Anthony Pettis, Gil Melendez, Rafael Dos Anjos. I had to fight these guys in order to prove myself in order to get a title shot.

I called out Rafael Dos Anjos in Brazil, so he could be a potential contender. People don't talk about Jorge Masvidal enough. He'd be a great fight: he comes to fight.

So far, I don't know what it means to be the champion. I'm just glad I have the belt.

I've been fighting in the UFC for five years now and it's about time I'm headlining a card.

I always had dreamed one day Bruce Buffer's going to be introducing me... Derrick 'The Black Beast' Lewis... and I just always pictured him saying it.

I'm the former lightweight champion. I want to fight one of the top guys. I don't want to fight a guy who isn't ranked.

I have been fighting and winning all the fights in my division. I think I deserve a title shot.

I'd like to see him fight at 135 for the championship. I want to see how good Demetrious Johnson is or how far he could take it.

I asked for a tough fight, and I'm very excited to fight such a good fighter and a former champion like Frankie Edgar.

I've got a split decision loss to Dominick Cruz and that changed everything, a fight that I thought I won. That changed everything, but I am the best bantamweight in the world.

As far as moving to 130, I got tired of waiting for the other champions, none of whom wanted to fight me. I'm hopeful that with the move to 130 lbs. will come better fights, particularly against the other champions, so we can make our dream of becoming undisputed champion.

As a World Champion, it is important that you face the #1 contender. That is what makes it sport and not entertainment; otherwise, what are the girls fighting at 145 lbs. training to work towards if they know they will never be given a title shot, even if they become the best in the world?

I want the big money fights if I'm going to make 147 pounds.

I always said the 155-pound belt's been in so many grubby hands, man.

I purposely lost a fight to Billy Fox because they promised me that I would get a shot to fight for the title if I did.

In the old days, when Muhammad Ali was fighting Ken Norton, Joe Frazier and George Foreman, there was a lot of excitement in the heavyweight division, I have to admit it.

Andre Ward got the chance to fight Sergey Kovalev twice. Triple G and Canelo are fighting again. People are getting paid to play king of the hill again.

Fighting Anderson Silva was a signature and career-defining moment that was stolen from me.

I've fought the best in the world.

I went through UFC with five title defenses. Jonny 'Bones' Jones beat my record, so I'm trying to beat his record. That's my goal. That's what I want to do.

In my first interview in the UFC, I asked them to throw me among the lions. I wanted to fight the best, and that's what the UFC did. Ex-champions, future champions - that's what I wanted.

Anybody in Britain, the big fights. I'm here for the big fights. I don't care about the little fights any more.

Things can change quickly in the UFC. I lost to Nate Marquardt in my first loss as a middleweight and then I defeated Dan Miller and fought for the title against Anderson Silva.

I'm a champion, I have to defend this belt.

I'm looking to fight for a world title by the end of 2019.