“He was just having a laugh... It’s unhinged, and he is getting absolutely murdered online. Now I am not going to defend Paddy, but I am going to kind of defend him if you know what I am saying.”

– via his YouTube channel (January 10, 2026), weighing in on the fallout from Paddy Pimblett’s ""mother"" analogy during his recent interview with The MMA Guru.

“It’s so satisfying. All I want is for him to be better than I ever was. All you want for your brothers is to do better than you. I want every record I ever held at American Kickboxing Academy to belong to someone else by the time I’m done and gone”

– via his Fighters Advice YouTube series, reflecting on Islam Makhachev’s historic achievement of becoming a two—division champion.

“I think it would be great to have Daniel Cormier a part of this show. Obviously, him and I have a rough history. I know he doesn't like me very much... but I think him coming out here to Thailand and filming with me would be a great opportunity for us to mend this jacked up relationship. I have no problems with him. I think, if anything, him coming out here would give us both an opportunity to maybe start a friendship”

– via Sport 24 and MMA Uncensored, offering a surprisingly optimistic outlook on his relationship with Daniel Cormier as they begin filming for ALF Reality Season 3

“It's very different when you get poked in the eye. We all know, we've all been poked in the eye. It is a very sharp, horrible, painful feeling. And Tom said he couldn't see... What that means is when you say I can't see, it's because you're trying to get out of the fight because you're tired. But if you can't see, I can't see, guys. How are you going to go and fight if you can't see?”

– via the Jaxxon Podcast, defending Tom Aspinall against accusations of "quitting" while highlighting the grim reality of his injury.

“For me, it was never really about him [Pereira], it was always about me. I knew technically I was the only one to hurt this man multiple times. I’m so proud of what he’s doing now... about to fight Jon Jones at the White House. I hope he never loses. I hope he retires undefeated”

– during a Q&A at Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA in Thailand on December 26, 2025, reflecting on his storied rivalry with Alex Pereira.

“I'm really cool with Izzy. Someone said before we hashed things out that we probably have a lot more in common than we think and would probably be friends in another life. Here I'm happy to break bread with him and go to dinner with him when he's around.”

– via That MMA Girl, discussing the evolution of his relationship with former rival Israel Adesanya.

“I told you about my altercation with Francis… I only bring that up because Francis didn’t really do anything. I mean, he turned around, and he raised his voice, but that was the same thing i was doing. I’m just not as frightening looking as Francis. I don’t think we can hold against Francis that he happens to be a really frightening looking person. I think that Francis’s actions, for the most part, are probably in line with what a lot of other people would do, but maybe he gets a little bit harsher criticism because he would go into the category of terrifying.”

– via Youtube further reflecting on his own past "altercation" with Francis Ngannou, suggesting that the fighter's imposing appearance might cause people to perceive his normal reactions as more aggressive or intimidating than they actually are.

“I don’t want him stripped. I am on Ilia’s side of it. I don’t really like what he is going through... I also think he is innocent. He seems like a good guy. I don’t think he would have done these things, however, they gotta strip him. If he is not making the claim that he is injured and has some kind of a doctor’s report to back it up... he’s gotta be stripped”

– via podcast clarifying that while he personally supports Ilia Topuria and believes in his innocence regarding current allegations, the standard rules for championship activity necessitate stripping him if no medical excuse is provided.

“Kamaru has the stylistic matchup to not get taken down [by Islam] and then he got a beautiful 1—2. And Islam has been hurt. The time that he did lose he's been knocked out. It's those punches that you don't see coming that can change everything.”

– via Red Corner MMA, arguing that Kamaru Usman has the stylistic advantages to give Islam Makhachev a tough fight

“Arman Tsarukyan is a clear number 1 contender, but he can't fight because [Ilia Topuria) has beef with his wife.”

– via MIMIA JUNIKIE, offering a provocative and somewhat humorous explanation for why the clear number one contender, Arman Tsarukyan, is being overlooked for a title shot.

“He's got a lot going on in his personal life. I wish him nothing but the best. That has got nothing to do with me and him fighting. That's his family, and i hope everything goes well. I hope that goes perfectly for him. All i care about is getting him in that octagon and fighting him... But you never know, if he doesn't come back by june,[or] july, then he might have to vacate his belt, and i'll become undisputed champion without even fighting.”

– viaan interview with ESPN Deportes, discussing Ilia Topuria's personal hiatus and suggesting that if Topuria does not return to fight by June or July, he might have to vacate the belt, allowing Pimblett to become the undisputed champion.

“Nate is not a gangster. Nate Diaz is a professional athlete. I think he's a father. He's a coach. He's a business owner. He's an entrepreneur. He's a leader. Yeah he smokes weed and he may give you a middle finger, but the guy is actually far from gangster and he's a really great guy.”

– via Sports 24, explaining why he believes Nate Diaz is "far from gangster," instead describing him as a professional athlete, father, coach, and genuinely great guy.

“It was frustrating. I saw that Tom got a lot of criticism... i think he took the right decision. When you're fighting somebody that's an elite striker like ciryl gane, you better be seeing what is in front of you. anybody can win [in the rematch]... i will give a slight advantage on the ciryl gane side.”

– via The Ariel Helwani Show, sharing his thoughts on the controversial stoppage in the Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane fight, defending Aspinall's decision to stop the fight due to the eye injury, and giving a slight advantage to Ciryl Gane in a potential rematch.

“The organization may not like it, but they make more and more fights that i don’t understand. Of course, i think Arman should’ve gotten the title shot. Arman is not going to fight anytime soon. Whoever wins between Gaethje and Pimblett gets a title shot at Topuria, meaning one more year of layoff for Arman”

– via Red Corner MMA expressing confusion and frustration with the UFC's matchmaking, specifically stating that Arman Tsarukyan should have received the title shot and that the winner of Gaethje vs. Pimblett getting the shot means another year of waiting for Tsarukyan.

“He's not a b**ch, he's not a h*e. He's not scared. If he says he can't continue because his eyes are at the point where he can't see, he might getting knocked out i gotta respect it. Everyone in the ufc is a lion. Lions are not scared of other lions.”

– via Home of Fight/James Lynch, defending Tom Aspinall's decision not to continue after the eye poke against Ciryl Gane, stating that Aspinall is not "scared" and that his safety must be respected.

“Brother, life is full of twists and turns, but to us, you will always be the best. You will come back much stronger”

– via Instagram stories, reacting to Merab Dvalishvili's loss against Petr Yan at UFC323

“I hope Justin [is] not going to drink, party, and going to dedicate himself [and] be focused. It's his last chance in this life... This is his chance and the end of his career. Win the interim title, fight for the real title and then retire. That's the best for him. And Justin, if you need help, let me know. I'll fly! I'll fly to you and help you.”

– via ESPN MMA, offering to help Justin Gaethje prepare while criticizing Paddy Pimblett's popularity as the reason for his title opportunity.

“He's just a brute... It doesn't look super technical all the time, but he always gets it done, and he's so powerful. He covers distance so much, he kind of reminds me of how Yoel Romero used to cover so much distance with power and explosiveness... He's got very strong hips. He's hard to take down. It would be very interesting to see how he does against Makhachev”

– via MMA Junkie, naming Michael Morales as a fighter who could push Islam Makhachev due to his unique athleticism and strength.

“Me and my family always cheer for him. When he said, 'I will beat your a** it's business,' everybody on the couch was laughing, because that's just him. If I beat Joshua Van, I believe I can help push Kyoji faster toward a title shot.”

– via Home of Fight, expressing support for his teammate Kyoji Horiguchi and his willingness to fight him, while suggesting he can help Horiguchi earn a title shot.

“I agree with Lerone. Even if I didn't get it, him or Movsar for sure should've been the guy. Movsar got passed over by Lopes once, and he gets another opportunity for gold lol. Fair play to Lopes, but you can see why guys start to lose love for the game. Cold world”

– via X, reacting to Murphy's statement and questioning Diego Lopes getting an immediate title rematch.