“For me like, you’ve done everything, just walk away from the sport. I think that’s so hard for any professional athlete, and for me I’ve seen him fight, I am like, dawg, you don’t need to f**** fight, right? I would if I was him”

– via The Ariel Helwani Show, making an emotional plea for Israel Adesanya to retire following his TKO loss to Joe Pyfer at UFC Seattle

“I wish in a way that Israel would have retired on Saturday night... There are parallels between Israel Adesanya and what happened with Anderson Silva”

– via his YouTube channel and Believe You Me podcast, expressing concern over the career trajectory of Israel Adesanya following his TKO loss to Joe Pyfer.

“People were wondering whether or not, if Adesanya didn't get the job done tonight, if it would be it. To me, it did not sound like he is almost remotely done with his UFC career. Honestly, the way that he was fighting, I would encourage him to keep going. Because he was fighting really well. I will question, and I think Izzy will question when he gets back to watching this fight, why he chose the path that he did in Round 2, because he was fighting really well.”

– via his YouTube channel, analyzing why Israel Adesanya should resist retirement despite his shocking TKO loss to Joe Pyfer at UFC Seattle.

“You gotta feel for Imavov. He earned the title shot. But then that trash talk, stupidity and the era we live in now where Strickland talks his way into a title shot”

– via his YouTube channel, reacting to the news that Sean Strickland not Nassourdine Imavov will challenge Khamzat Chimaev for the middleweight title at UFC 328 in Newark.

“My reaction to that, this is probably going to be crazy to a lot of people listening, but why is the UFC not giving Jon the respect he deserves financially? That’s crazy to me. If anyone should be getting paid a lot in this sport, it should be Jon Jones for the stuff he’s done. And that’s me saying that after the history I’ve had with Jon Jones. They offered him $30 million to fight me, so why haven’t they offered it to him again?... We’re talking about Conor McGregor and Jon Jones; those are the guys who’ve brought in revenue for over 10 years. They need to be getting paid what they deserve, in my opinion”

– via The Ariel Helwani Show, reacting to Jon Jones accusing the UFC of lowballing him for the Freedom 250 White House card

“Jon Jones has every reason to be upset. In my opinion, Jon Jones is worth $30 million... if Conor Benn is getting $15 million... Jon Jones is worth $30 [million], and Conor McGregor is worth $75 [million]. I think they took these guys for fools... I can guarantee you they’re going to come with that number to Conor McGregor, and he’s going to be like, 'What? Are you kidding?”

– via X, blasting the UFC for allegedly lowballing Jon Jones and failing to meet the market value of the sport's biggest icons for the Freedom 250 White House card.

“Look, I don't mess around with health, man. I see it like, the guy's a fighter, he's not gonna fake something like that... the guy is back now after surgery. I saw the photo that he posted, man, his eyes were all red. It even scared me a bit. The eyes are really delicate, you know?”

– via Valter Walker’s YouTube channel, defending Tom Aspinall against online skeptics following the champion’s double eye surgery

“You cannot rush this... Anytime you go in there and drill or cut and slice and mess about with it, you weaken it. So, you have to allow it a lot of time to restore, to heal 100 percent”

– via his YT Channel, urging Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall to prioritize longterm vision over a quick return to the Octagon

“Can we please forgive him? Whatever he did to get himself in this weird purgatory, can we also remember that he agreed to be a backup fighter? That he did a training camp, that he flew out to Las Vegas, he went through the commission, he made weight. He was ready to go on a moment's notice. You get something for that.”

– via his YouTube channel (January 14, 2026), making an impassioned plea for the UFC to "pardon" Arman Tsarukyan following the news that the #1 contender was once again passed over for the UFC 324 interim title fight.

“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.