Quotes from Gegard Mousasi

As a fighter, you want fair treatment.

I believe that style-wise, matchup-wise, I matchup much better against Anderson Silva than Jon Jones, but it doesn't mean that I'm scared to fight at 205.

When I was an amateur, I would go to knock guys out in the first minute. When you get experience, you know it doesn't work like that.

I've seen so many fighters getting knocked out.

I have a lot of nicknames. They called me Kingo in Japan, they called me the Young Vagabond, but that sounds bad, then Soldier of Fortune, now they call me the Dream Catcher.

I'm a solid fighter.

I like all kinds of music artists like Akon. I even listen to Lady Gaga.

Mentally, it's good for me to fight in Japan.

I won the belt in DREAM, I won the belt in Strikeforce, every fight was just a fight, it wasn't something special, it just was getting in the ring and fighting.

I cannot come and suddenly put on a persona. Like, I cannot be Mike Tyson. When you saw him it was raw, it was intense, 'I want to hurt you.' But now everybody tries it. I don't enjoy that. It's not real.

I'd rather have the underdog position than the favorite because I've been the underdog for a long time. I don't mind fighting that way.

Even if I win the belt, I'm going to be underrated. It is what is it.

I know I'm underrated.

I was born in Iran, my parents are Armenian. We fled from Iran to the Netherlands when I was eight years old. We had a lot of family and friends in Iran, so it was hard to leave, especially for my parents. But we managed to settle well in the Netherlands, after a year in refugee camps. But I understood it was a process.

I like Vitor Belfort. He's a nice guy and I have nothing against him.

I have no doubt in my abilities that I can beat any of the top ten guys. Once I'm focused I know I can beat them.

Men have to stay strong. 'They fight, it's normal. Females don't have that instinct.

Normally for me, it's not interesting. When do you see in the jungle, female fighters fighting each other? I mean it's not human nature.

I don't want to tell sad stories about myself. We may not have had a lot to spend when I grew up, but my childhood was good. The public likes to hear a dramatic story. They want a star to rise, have a meltdown and then return to greatness. Very American.

Luke Rockhold's not going to take me down. Chris Weidman's not going to take me down. Their wrestling is great, but they have to set it up with strikes.

I respect all my opponents and they do the same thing that I do to get ready for fights.

I can't put on an act, so I try to be one of the best fighters so at least I get paid. Let's say Michael Bisping, he wasn't that great. He was losing, winning, but he was making a lot of money, and that was because he was outspoken and from the U.K. But not everyone can be like that. So, I tried to be the best I could.

I'd rather have no nickname, but with my style, you can't really put a name on it.

I've been training my whole life with southpaws. It's annoying to fight a guy who's a southpaw, but nothing that I haven't see.