Cerrone is a great opponent. The guy won eight fights straight.

I think between 2014 and 2015, I made weight five times in 11 months. During that time, I felt my body change. It was able to hold on to more weight. And anybody who makes weight knows that it gets harder and harder to make weight once you've done it that many times.

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.

Nate Diaz is a tough opponent. I've fought him.

If you're out for two years, and you beat one guy with a full-time job, without disrespect, but we're talking about fighting for a world title. You can't just beat a guy that went there to cover some guy that got injured, and then this guy, after two and a half years, gets a title shot.

I beat Diaz, Pettis, Ben Henderson, Cerrone, and I earned it, man. I earned my title.

I'm under contract. Whatever the UFC asks, I have to do because they are my bosses and they treat me very well. I can't complain about that, and it's this, man: When you have a boss, you need to follow orders.

Eddie Alvarez, man, he's a tough guy.

People don't believe in me very much, but I have my teammates and my family that believe in me so much; they see how hard I work.

When you want the belt, you have to work for it.

Ben Henderson, he had never been knocked out before fighting me.

Everybody likes money. I like money. I need money to survive. But I don't love money. Money is not my god.

I'm going to show the difference between the champ and second place.

You have to respect your opponent.

People say McGregor is tall and all that. He's as tall as I am, or maybe even shorter. He might have a longer reach, but I've fought Nate Diaz and Cerrone, who had reach advantage, and fought Anthony Pettis and Ben Henderson.

Press conferences aren't the best thing to do, but it's part of the job.

I'm always looking for perfection. Even after training and my coaches say I did good, I always think I could have done more.

I do things right. No shortcuts.

Power is natural, but it can be improved with a lot of work. It's been something I've focused on for a couple of years because I saw it as a place where I could make improvements.

A lot of people tell me I have to trash-talk more, but I got here with my fists, fighting, not with my mouth.

I don't want to just be a champion, and I'm done with that. I wanna be a lightweight legend.

It doesn't matter who they put in front of me, I just want people to remember me.

I just have to go out and fight my fight and fight to win.

Everybody needs money, but I'm a fighter. For what I make, I'm happy with what I make. The money is not everything; it's about honor.