He's been doing this a long time. Hats off to a champion, Carlos Condit.
Carlos Condit does the best job of being the counterstriking guy that is very elusive.
The moment I'm most proud of my career is when I got dropped by the headkick by Carlos Condit. I fell down and I was able to stand up.
I didn't deserve to get my title stripped after three ACL reconstructions. I didn't deserve to be out for four years. But it happened to me, and so I definitely learned over the years that you don't deserve anything. Nothing you have is yours. Everything is up for grabs in this world.
I had Jake Ellenberger. I trained very hard for him; then I was able to get Carlos Condit, an excellent fighter. That's what it's all about.
I have been fighting and winning all the fights in my division. I think I deserve a title shot.
Stylistically, though, I've always liked Carlos Condit, because he at least amounted to at least the level of doing what I do. I mean, but I think he stands a little upright.
It makes me very, very happy to get someone a world title shot, which I've done with a few fighters, or a European title shot or a British title, and I see them lift that belt above their waist and they come to me and say 'Thanks Ricky. I've just paid my mortgage off with that.' That's what its all about.
The title shot, the way I look at it is I just have to go out there and do my job. If I keep winning fights, there's no way they can't give me that title shot.
I had never fought a guy before that I had put on a pedestal the way I did with Carlos Condit. I've got his walkout shirt. He's a former champion. I'm a huge fan. I doubted myself a lot of times.
Look back at my career - I was 19 or 20 years old when I started fighting those guys. As soon as I got into the UFC I was willing to take on the number one guys. I fought Carlos Condit in my second appearance in the UFC.
I thought I was ready for a title shot after I beat Shogun.
In MMA it’s a lot less intimidating because it’s not like you get one shot at a title every four years. You get a title shot every couple of months ... With the Olympics, you don’t always have this, so there is so much more pressure involved.
In MMA it's a lot less intimidating because it's not like you get one shot at a title every four years. You get a title shot every couple of months... With the Olympics, you don't always have this, so there is so much more pressure involved.
You look at the top five right now and see guys like Kelvin Gastelum, who I've beaten, Carlos Condit, who I've beaten, Robbie Lawler, who I've beaten. How are those guys more notable than I am, and I'm the champion of the world?