I just keep my eyes open and focus on the things I'm not good at and what makes other people better than me - technique and things outside the Octagon.
Jon JonesRead
I want to take this time to thank Daniel Cormier for being my biggest rival and motivator. He has absolutely no reason to hang his head. He has been a model champion, a model husband, a model father, a teammate, a leader, and I aspire to be a lot more like that man, because he's an amazing human being.
Interpretation
Expressing gratitude towards a rival can inspire personal growth and encourage respect in competition.
In this quote, Jon Jones acknowledges Daniel Cormier as not just a rival, but a significant motivator and exemplary figure in various aspects of life. By emphasizing Cormier's qualities as a champion, husband, father, and leader, Jones highlights the importance of respect and admiration in competitive relationships, suggesting that rivals can also serve as sources of inspiration and aspirational role models.
In practice
During a keynote speech on sportsmanship at a conference.
I just keep my eyes open and focus on the things I'm not good at and what makes other people better than me - technique and things outside the Octagon.
Fighting is not what I do - it's who I am. It's what I was meant to do, what I was meant to be. I knew that right after my first MMA practice.
My wrestling dream was to become a Division I national champion. That was my No. 1 dream - not Olympics, not money. Just winning that tournament.
Peace is one of the greatest gifts we can leave our children.
Never be discouraged, because every wrong turn attempt, when left behind you, is another step forward taking you closer to your goals.
My hopes are not always realized, but I always hope.
Bruce Lee was an artist and, like him, I try to go beyond the fundamentals of my sport. I want the public to see a knockout in the making.
I always feel like it's two key ingredients when it comes to following your dreams, making something happen that the average person deems difficult. If you truly believe it, that's step one. Step two, is, you know, the hard work that goes along with it.
If I waited till I felt like writing, I'd never write at all.
There are 30,000 days in your life. When I was 24, I realized I'm almost 9,000 days down. There are no warm-ups, no practice rounds, no reset buttons. Your biggest risk isn't failing, it's getting too comfortable. Every day, we're writing a few more words of a story. I wanted my story to be an adventure and that's made all the difference.
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