I was 11 when I started boxing. My brother was fighting before I did, and he got me into it.
I have a lot of respect for Mexico.
Everything in our family was always boxing. It was the life my father chose for me.
Being a world champion is something I’m already proud of and can take for the rest of my life.
Even the other kids who people made fun of made fun of me. Thats where I stood on the school food chain.
All I know is that I’m proud to be Filipino.
If there’s a best, I want to fight them.
My Internet friends who I play games with say, ‘This guy’s a fighter?’ I’m the last person they expect to be a fighter.
I was always into cartoons and animation.
I’m not into being competitive. I never saw myself as a competitive type of person.
Usually, sprinting is my main source of energy and recovery time because that’s how I move.
With me, boxing’s a beautiful sport.
As long as I have that support from my team, and I have that confidence in myself that I train really hard, I think there’s no one out there who can defeat me in my weight class.
I was always scared in the amateurs, but the minute I got in the ring it was like another person took over. I become more vicious. In there I love to hurt people. Outside I can’t hurt a bug.
The best feeling is to win by knockout.
People call me a nerd because I like to spend time on the computer.
Moving up and fighting the best keeps me hungry.
In school I was pretty fast.
Growing up as an amateur, I wasn’t much of a power puncher. I was more of a speed guy.
A lot of guys just punch with their arms; they don’t utilize every part of their muscles they can use. I know how to use that, and that’s where the power comes in.