When you lose badly, when you get knocked out and the ref has to stop it, that's when you know it's been a bad fight. But when you lose a fight having over the 12 rounds and you don't look like you've done any rounds, that's when you know it's quite good.
I will knock out Vernon Forrest in two rounds whether I have a cigarette or not. I know a lot of people want to see me fight more rounds. So, if HBO wants, they can pick two sparring partners for me to fight after I knock out Forrest. That way, the audience can see me fight 12 rounds.
Donaire is a very good champion. We both have speed and power. The difference is intelligence. I was born to fight. The bigger the fight the better. If Donaire isn't right, he's going to get knocked out. Maybe five rounds, maybe less. Not sure yet. But you know what? Donaire stepped up and took this fight. He didn't have to. For that, I respect him for getting in the ring with me.
A guy like Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather is used to fighting 12-rounders. Put them into the ring for three rounds against a top amateur boxer at a much faster pace, and they'll lose a fight, and how bad is that going to make them look?
I've been saying for years, Froch is an easy fight, chin's up in the air, feet are all over the place, technically terrible. But he's tough, he's strong, he's fit for 12 rounds, he comes on strong the last few rounds.
That "I don't give a darn" attitude is probably why I've shot so many good final rounds over the years when I started the day a few shots behind with nothing to lose. . . and maybe that's why I've shot so many bad last rounds when I was ahead and knew I couldn't afford a mistake.
I'm ready for five rounds and I know how to fight five rounds, when I have to rest, and when I can push the tempo.
As for me, I always train for 12 rounds just in case. I don’t train for three, four, one, or 10 rounds - I have to train for 12 because you never know what will happen that night.
I finish every fight. And if I don't finish and go to a decision, I win 10-8 rounds. How many guys do you know in the lightweight division who've had fights where they have gotten two 10-8 rounds scored? Think about it. I'm a winner.
I've been in the ring. I've fought in a title fight. I know what it is like to lose a fight. I know everything a fighter has been through.
It doesn't matter in MMA if you're a woman or a man. You're going to fight 5 rounds, 5 minutes (per round). If they want a real world champion, then the fights should be 12 rounds, 3 minutes (per round) for a woman boxer and you'll weed out some of the world championship fighters.
My trainer don't tell me nothing between rounds. I don't allow him to. I fight the fight. All I want to know is did I win the round. It's too late for advice.
My second fight at UFC 1, I fought Ken Shamrock. In the fight I choked him. As soon as he tapped, I let go. He tried to continue, but the ref got kind of stuck like, 'should I let it go or stop the fight.' That's when I looked at the ref and I said, let it go, we're going to continue.
I know why I lose fights. If you don't know why you lost a fight or won a fight, you shouldn't be fighting. I know when I do right when I win, and I know what I do wrong when I lose.
A lot of time I fight guys and after a few rounds, they accept my dominance. They aren't fighting to win anymore. They're fighting to not lose. I've seen it many times. It's very hard for me to finish a guy like this. He doesn't want to get hurt. It's normal. It's human nature.
I'm confident that I can go in and fight for 12 rounds and win a decision.
When you fight for something, you fight the good fight. You go for it, you never stop. You get knocked down, and you get right back up. That's what we need to be teaching these kids. For that matter, even some adults.