Quotes from Israel Adesanya

Fighting is worldwide. Fighting is fighting, everyone understands what it is.

I'm real petty. I remember everything like an elephant.

I just want to fight and be remembered as the best, who fought everyone and beat them. Then the money, the numbers, the records, they all chase me.

If I ever feel like I need to see someone to help me adjust to whatever life situation I'm seeing, I'll go. You're sick. When you're physically ill, you go to the doctor. It's the same thing about your mental. If you feel you're starting to get sick, you go see someone who can help you.

There doesn't need to be hatred after a fight, because it's all said and done. I'm cool with a lot of my opponents in the UFC. There's people I've fought who were my friends in kickboxing tournaments and after we were still cool.

If people want to take the chance to watch, to see what I bring and try to use it to better themselves, yeah, OK. But I'm not one of these guys who's going to try to be a role model and be an angel because I want to get a Nike sponsorship.

You won't see me on TMZ shaving my hair and yelling at the camera guy.

They don't really teach you how to be famous and a lot of people don't realise that this game comes with a lot of traps. So I'm just looking after myself, looking after my health and making sure I don't fall into those traps.

In boxing, you've got CTE from head trauma constantly.

I've fought injured so many times for so many years.

Being a big black man in China in the mainland, walking down the street, you have everyone looking at you, 'Basketball?' They don't really see a lot of us around, maybe on TV, so they're just looking.

I've been a heavyweight in boxing, in kickboxing. I'll do it in again in MMA.

I tried so many times to fit in but I could never ever fit in. I was always like, an outcast.

I can hit hard, trust me.

There are a lot of sports that New Zealand does very well but MMA is a truly global sport and it's practiced in the farthest reaches of this earth.

The promoters in New Zealand weren't looking at me, they didn't see the potential. But when I was fighting in China they brought me over there as a journeyman so all their guys could whup up on me. Then they realised that's not gonna happen because I kept whupping up on their guys. Then they decided, 'Let's bring this guy into our team.'

Aang hits the Avatar-state and he has this unlimited power. He enters into a flow state, you know, he's in the zone. That's how it feels for me sometimes when I'm fighting.

It's about legacy, it's about moments, it's about being an icon - I'll do what I do and the money will flow.

To reach the heights of a truly global sport, in a sport as difficult as this, is a monumental achievement.

I make moves on my terms.

Look, I can't dim my shine just because some people feel uncomfortable.

I've talked about tall poppy syndrome when I see people. I used to be like, 'Why am I feeling this way? What is that person taking from me that makes me feel inadequate?' That same feeling you feel when you feel uncomfortable because people start talking about racism, lean into that feeling, don't just look away from it, because you can't pretend.

They say to never underestimate anyone, but they don't tell you to overestimate people either, so I'm just going to do me.

A lot of guys just can't handle the spotlight and the pressure, so they shy away from it, like 'oh, I don't want to be in it.' That's never me.