I came to 170 and I got motivated and finally they started giving me ranked opponents.
Winning a pro tournament is another step toward getting fights against higher-ranked opponents.
I've said many times I don't want to pick opponents, and I don't want the UFC to pick opponents to give me an easier route, or anyone else.
The task is not to overcome opponents in general but only those opponents against whom one has to summon all one's strength, one's skill and one's swordsmanship-in fact to master opponents who are one's equals.
The reality is we are still ranked 10th and we are playing a team ranked second in the world who are playing at the top of their game and are at home.
If you really look at the sport, when the No. 1 ranked fighter beats the No. 2 ranked fighter, the only thing that's up next for him is a title fight.
I need to take fights, and I expect to win all my fights, whether it's higher ranked or lower ranked.
Can anyone tell me what Jon Jones was ranked when he fought for the UFC title? No one knows. I believe, in that aspect, it was easier to get fights back then. It wasn't, 'What's this guy ranked?' You fought, made your money, and went home.
If someone said at the end of 2016 that I'd be ranked No.1 in England, have three titles and be ranked top ten in the world at the end of 2017, I would have said probably not.
If you want to do something, what does it matter where you are ranked?
I don't want to fight guys ranked behind me.
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.
Everybody wants to make as much money as possible. Take care of your family. It's not about the money; it's about status. I want to be ranked amongst all the players. I don't want to just have all this money. I want to be that guy.
The number one ranked team is playing the number 10 ranked team. That's the reality.
I want to be ranked in the top 100 players. If I can achieve that, I'll think about the world championship.
I don't adjust my training for any of my opponents. I don't watch films on my opponents.