Obviously, that off-the-ice battle I went through, plus injuries I came back from, I always felt the fans are really knowledgeable there and respected and appreciated guys that gave whatever they had and guys that fought through things.
I don't have a list, really. I just want to fight guys that are highly respected by the fans, and I want to fight guys who make me nervous. With high risk comes great reward. I want to be a champion that can honestly look people in the eye and say, "I've fought the best guys in the world."
Some guys joke, but when guys are hurt, I can diagnose their injuries because I've gone through almost everything.
This must be how the guys in Space Jam felt when MJ gave them their powers back through that old basketball.
Listen, man, everybody has their own journey, obstacles, and some people get built through promotional companies to be a star, but really haven't fought the best guys out there. And then you have guys that really earned their spot and that happens to be me.
When you get to the big leagues, the talent pool is on such a level playing field, you have to find a way to separate yourself from incredibly talented guys. Especially when you go through the injuries that I've had, you come back, and you might not physically be able to do some of the things you used to do.
Yeah, I was ready for the NBA. Because I went through a lot of things back overseas. And you know, playing professionally from a young age and then playing against the older guys - guys over 30; older, talented guys - was really tough, but it also helped my game grow and just get me ready for the NBA.
Sometimes you get the rap of, 'Don't always play hard,' or, 'Just doing it for the money.' But there are guys that genuinely love the game of basketball and are always playing it and are always out there. There are guys that work hard and actually understand the game and are very knowledgeable off the court as well.
I had a lot of ups and downs through my career at BYU, through different injuries and stuff. The fan bases have always been right there to pick me up and support me through all those injuries.
My dad was in the Korean War. He got shot seven times. He had seven bullet holes in him. And out of his troop of 35 guys, he was one of nine guys that came back. And when he came back from that he had seven kids in seven years.
The only guys that make it through are the guys that make it through are the guys that have a complete control of their ego where they tap out in the beginning, all the time, you're always losing in the beginning... Your ego can get bruised if you don't have control of it. So what ends up happens is Jiu Jitsu is the ultimate douchebag filter.
When you think about the guys who started Twitter, and the Google guys, and the Facebook guys and the Napster guys, and the Microsoft guys, and the Dell guys and the Instagram guys, it's all guys. The girls, they're being left behind.
I never had any dates. I never really had any boyfriends. I was the girl who did the guys' homework. I was really crazy about guys but I was always like one of the boys. The guys I always fell in love with were completely inaccessible.
Guys get injuries and there's a reason why these injuries happen. A lot of time you're going to get your knee injuries and your ankle injuries, but sometimes if a guy's back is hurting it might be because his core isn't balanced with his back.
Guys respect other guys who get it done on the field, play through adversity, and come through when it matters most.
Why being involved in social media has had such a tremendous impact on me, is deeply connecting me with fans in ways that I never had before. I was connected with fans and I always appreciated the relationship I had with fans, but, through social media, it allowed a deeper connection.
I think the biggest thing - when it comes to injuries and stuff, travel has a big part in that, because after a match, guys hit the road, and they're in a sitting position. They're not able to ice up or do whatever they have to do therapy-wise.